Evening star., 1946-09-05
Jews Agency Refuses
To Attend Palestine
Conference in London
BY the Associated Press

| LONDON, Sept. 5.-Prospects of
Jewish participation in British
sponsored triangular talks on Pales-
tine receded today when the Jewish
Agency refused to attend and Jeru-
salem dispatches reported that non-
agency Jewish individuals and or
ganizations were not likely to accept
invitations.
Government sources and Jewish
informants said the Jewish Agency
had rejected an invitation to parti-
cipate in the discussions scheduled
for Monday, although authoritative
Jewish sources said the door had
been left open for a last-minute
change of mind. -
Nonagency People Invited.
The British announced that the
following nonagency Jewish bodies
and representatives had been in
vited:
From the United Kingdom-Board
of Deputies of British Jews, the
Anglo-Jewish Association, Agudath
Israel association OF Israeli, and
DIR. Dayan Lazarus, acting chief
rabbi.
From Palestine-Ben xvi of Vaad
Leumi General Council OF jews :,
Chief Rabbis DR.. I. Herzog and DR..
Ben Zion Uziel, Mrs. Golda Meyerson
and A. Sprinzak of Histadrut (Gen-
eral Federation of Labor, Mordecai
Bentov of Hashomer Hatzier young
Guard labor organization), I. Ro-
kach, mayor of Tel Aviv, all-Jewish
city: S. Rosenblueth of Aliya Ha-
dasha New Immigrant political
party, Rabbi Isaac Meyer Levin of
Agudath Israel, and DR.. Werner Sem
ator of Ichud (World Zionist Labor
Union).
Adhere to Discipline.
Dispatches from Jerusalem said,
however, that even individuals and
associations who disagree with the
Jewish Agency were unlikely to ac-
cept invitations because they all
adhered to "the principle of inner
Zionist discipline" and recognized
that the views of the Jewish Agency
were majority views" and the result
of decisions by the Inner Zionist
Council.
A government informant said It
was unlikely that the government
would recede from its decision to
consider the plan for a division of
Palestine into four federal zones as
the starting basis of the proposed
discussions. 1t was on this point an
agency spokesman said, that the
Jewish Agency rejected the invita-
ton.
Door Open for Negotiations.
While the agency has given notice
Of its intention to stay away from
the meeting, the informant said,. it
has left the door open for additional
negotiations. He expressed the opin-
ion there still was chance that the
agency might reverse its decision at
the last minute and attend.
The agency's letter to the British
government, a text of which was
AAoe yCV dNdAdUlC, WdS IcpOIIcu "
have been couched in the most con-
ciliatory terms. 1t was understood
to have made certain suggestions
about conditions under which it
might be possible. to- participate in
the conference. 81 t.5
This informant said the next move
was UP to the British government.
Available for Consultation.
He added that rejection of the in
vitation did not affect the willingness
of agency leaders to make, them
selves available for consultation dur
ling the conference, called in another
attempt to settle the problem of Pal
estine. sss - es
The Arab Higher Executive in
Palestine also has refused to parti-
cipate in the conversations. Repre-
sentatives of Arab states are COM
ing, however, and the British have
decided to issue invitations to
number of nonagency Jewish indi-
viduals and organizations.