The Grey River Argus MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1948. THE PALESTINE TRAGEDY

Grey River Argus, 20 September 1948, Page 4

The Grey River Argus MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1948. THE PALESTINE TRAGEDY

NOT only Gentiles, but Jews laI ment the murder of the plucky Swedish Noble, Count Bernadotte, who took up for the United Nations the unenviable task of mediating in Palestine. The descendant of one of Napoleon’s generals, he previously had endeavoured as a mediator to shorten the late World War, and by his prominent part in the Red Cross Movement, as well as his training in other directions, had specially fitted himself to act as a go-between. The Arabs are.as one with the world generally in their regret, but their spokesman says they are not surprised. It is evident that, in spite of unification, the Zionist forces still include a desperate type of men, who lend colour to the Arabic claim that- 1 they would build a State upon aggression and assassination. Incidentally the particular section, the Stern Gang, who accept responsibility for the slaying of Bernadotte and his fellow U.N.O'. official, Colonel Serot, include Arabs as well as Jews, and, possibly there are also East Europeans of a sort that would not hesitate to assassinate. Tht only semblance of a reason, so far assigned is that the Stern Gang regarded the mediator as collaborating with the British, although it transpires he previously had been threatened, and that his return to the Holy City was -destined to prove fatal. The indications are that the more aggressive. Zionists have presumed they already have won, and are intolerant of any compromise.

The situation perhaps is now graver than before in the respect that, while ’"the Russians may have a bigger finger in the pie, and the Arabs are no less -determined than the Zionists, the United Nations pins all its faith in an uneasy truce. Should hostilities resume, they will be even more bitter. The Zionists have doubtless increased their armaments and fighting men mean-

time. For that reason, that section of the Arabs disposed for some compromise might have been persuaded by the mediator to expect some consideration. It would have been definitely a hasty and fallacious inference on the part of the Stern Gang to regard such a course as detrimental to the Zionists, and as a British design to favour the Arabs. Glubb Pasha, the British officer who had trained the Arab Legion, has warned that trouble is to be apprehended if Russian influence extends. While Britain is anxious for a compromise, it is possible that the East European element among the Zionists arc out to dictate terms to the Arabs. Such a policy would spell continual conflict. The United Nations is perhaps more anxious for peace than anything else, and has staked itself on the ability of the late mediator to secure agreement, even if the Arabs have to make the main sacrifice. The upshot is hard to predict. The Zionist cause has not been helped. A section of the Arabs obviously would set up in Palestine a regime to rival that of Israel, a

proposal which the Trans-Jordan King will not support, and. he may be regarded as reflecting the British view. That view may . yet prevail, but if it fails to satisfy Israel, the alternative may prove for Israel still less satisfactory. The tragedy suggests that Count Bernadotte may have been ■ on the right path, and his death may finally serve to commend it to thp great majority.