Evening star., 1947-09-02
Arabs Warn Partition
0f Palestine Would
:Sef East on Fire.
BY the Assoeioted Press

! LAKE SUCCESS, Sept. 2.-The
United Nations was warned to-
day that a partition of the Holy
Land would "set Palestine and
the Arab East ON fire"
: The warning sharply underlined a
promised battle in the q. N. General
Assembly which convenes IN New
York September 16.
.. - Emile Ghoury of the Palestine
Arab Higher Committee declared in
Jerusalem that his organization had
rejected" proposals by the U. N.
special Committee to divide Pales-
tine into Arab and Jewish states
and admit 10000 Jewish immigrants
during the next two years.
a He said the Arabs would use all
means at their disposal" to combat
the proposals and then released to
newsmen an Arab Higher Committee
statement declaring that any at
tempt by the United Nations TO carry
but the recommendations would re-
suit in violence.
Arab States to Resist.
Mr.. Ghoury had said earlier that
t Great Britain tried to force par
tition I'VE will oppose it by force"
Arab spokesmen promised that the
seven-state Arab League would fight
the report in the General Assembly
through its five U. N. members
Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and
Saudi Arabia.
Immediately after the U. N. COM
mittee announced its proposals, both
Arabs and Jews began drawing their
battle lines for the Assembly fight
which is expected to be the most
heated yet.
Arab delegations were on their
way here from the Middle East. In
Zurich, Switzerland. leaders OF the
World Zionist Organization were in
conference mapping their strategy,
The reaction of Faris Bey Ell
Khouri of Syria, who speaks for the
Arab League in most United Ma
tions affairs, was swift rejection OF
the committee plan. He declared
that partition and immigration was
mot acceptable at all"
Jewish Reaction Favorable.
First Jewish reaction to the COM
mittee report was mostly favorable,
A member of the general Zionist
Party in Switzerland where Jewish
leaders are attending the World
Zionist Congress said the U. N. COM
mittee proposals were acceptable as
the basis for negotiation.
Although there was no official
British comment, some British
sources cast doubt on the feasibility
of the plan while others limited
Britain might comply with the rec
ommendations.
The 11-nation U. N. Special Com
mittees on Palestine unanimously
recommended Holy Land indepen-
dence from Britain's 25-year- -old
mandate "at the earliest practicable
date"
A seven-member majority urged
partition of Palestine into Arab
and Jewish nations and an inter-
national city of Jerusalem and ad-
mission of 100000 Jews into the
Jewish territory during the two
year transition period.
A three member minority called
for q federal Arab-Jewish state and
entry Of Jews up to the "absorptive
capacity" of the Jewish portion dur
ting q transition period of up to
three years.
Encouraging Features.
For Jewish hopes, two features OF
the committees proposals were en-
eouraging. For the first time an in
ternational commission has recon-
mended establishment Of Jewish
state-an aim which has dominated
the Zionist fight The committee
also recommended immigration of
Jews.
Under the majority recommended
tions the Jews would be given East
ern Galilee, the central coastal
plain, taking in Haifa, Jaffa and
Tel Aviv, and the Beersheba sub
district, including most of the
Negreb-the southern desert.
It would allot the Arabs Western
Galilee, the Samaritan and Judean
hill country and the southern coast
from Isdud to the Egyptian frontier.
The ports Of Haifa and Jaffa would
be operated "in the common inter-
est" under an economic union Of
the two states. The minority divi-
don was somewhat different.
Mrs, Golda Myerson, political