The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume] (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1939-1992, 1940-11-22
Week In Review
By MILTON sRoWN. JT.A.
pEFTJGEEs IN PALESTINE

REFUGEES IN PALESTINE
An indication that serious diff
entities had cropped up in Pales-
fine over the arrival of two refu-
ree-Iaden steamers at Haifa was
Contained in Jerusalem dispatches
INIT wartime censorship blocked
efforts to obtain a clear cut pic
t1re of what was afOOt.
The first hint of trouble came
on Monday in delayed, incomplete
Jerusalem messages to London re-
porting the arrival at Haifa of two
steamers carrying LII refugees,
Including 1000 men, 600 women
and III children.
The censored reports indicated
that developments connected with
their arrival had aroused the Pal
estine Jewish community but gave
no clue as to their exact nature.
Observers at London believed that
friction had flared owing to q re-
fusal by the authorities to. permit
the landing of the large refugee
contingent. The dispatches did not
give the names of the steamers
and did not disclose from where
the refugees came.
The belief tn a t trouble had
arisen was strengthened by subse-
quent Jerusalem reports that Jew
ish leaders had, for the first time,
summoned an extraordinary ses-
sion of the Asefath Hanivcharim
Jewish National Assembly, to
discuss the urgent problem of DAN
ubian refugees. Whether these ref
ugees, who were shunted from
port to port on the Danube and fi-.
nally managed to cross the Medi-
terranean, were those who ar
rived at Haifa could not be as
certained Continued deletion of
vital details by the censors showed
that the Palestine authorities were
determined to obscure the issue
for the time being at least.
THE extraordinary session of the
Asefath Hanivcharim was opened
on Monday by Isaac Ben-Zvi, pres
ident of the Vaad Leumi Jewish
National Council). It followed in
tensive political activities on Sun
day when representatives of Jew
ish bodies met in special separate
sessions to discuss the immigra-
ton and refugee situation.
Ben-Zvi stressed the urgency of
an agenda calling for unified ac-
ton. MOshe ShertOk, head of the
Jewish Agency's political depart
ment, reported on the political
situation and steps undertaken by
Jewish institutions. Chief Rabbi
Isaac HerzOg, DIR. M. Altman of
the ZiOnist-R evisiOnists and Rab-
Dl Meir Berlin of the Mizrachi Or
ganizatiOn and others also made
declarations. The executives of the
Vaad Leumi and the Jewish Agen-
cy and the Palestine commission
OF the Zionist General Council al
so met. The dispatch said the del
egates had shown unprecedented
unity in their discussions but all
details of the proceedings were de-
leted.
DE GAULLE PLEDGE TO JEWS
Jews in the United States and
elsewhere were heartened this
week by formal pledge from Gen.
CHARLES De Gaulle, leader Of the
free France movement, that the
antl-Jewish action undertaken by
the Vichy Government would
nave no validity" once the coun-
|zis{'
line message, sent from Libre-
Vllle in French Equatorial Africa,
winch has been seized by De Gaul-
70 and forces at his command, was
addressed to DIR. Maurice L. PERL
1"elg, chairman Of the British
section of the World Jewish Con-
Sress' now in New York. It was
gao at Carnegie Hall on Wednes-
uay to an audience gathered by
the American Jewish Congress