Evening star., 1947-06-16
Military Court Doom
8 Palestine Jews as
u. n. Inquiry Opens
By the Assoeioied Press

JERUSALEM, June l6.-A MIL
itary court condemned three con-
yicted Jewish terrorists to death as
the United Nations Commission on
Palestine opened its inquiry today
amid an Arab general strike.
The Jews were accused of partici-
pating in the May Jail delivery
which freed 251 prisoners from Acre
Prison and resulted in Is deaths.
Two other Jews tried with the con-
demned trio were sentenced to life
imprisonment.
Irgun Zvai Leumi. underground
organization which took response
bility for the prison break, was
expected to appeal to the U. N.
Commission in an effort to stay the
sentences. Irgun repeatedly has
threatened blood for blood" retlia-
ton against the British for death
sentences against its members.
Mufti Sounds Call.
The Arab strike, called to empha-
size the organized Arabs boycott
of the U. N. inquiry, paralyzed much
of Palestine's activity. In Cairo,
the exiled Mufti of Jerusalem
sounded "call upon all Arabs to
protect the Holy Land"
Sentencing in the Acre case cli-
NAKED a two-week trial. Those con-
demned were Yacoub Weiss, %, a
Natanya laborer; Absolom Habib,
20, Jerusalem clerk, and Meir Nakar,
81, Jerusalem shoemaker.
Life sentences went to Amman
Michaelov and Mailman Ziterbaum,
both 10.
After hearing the sentences, the
youths joined in singing the Jewish
anthem "Haitkvah (Hope." All were
charged with carrying arms and ex-
plosives, firing at British army per-
sonnel, illegally wearing military
uniforms and being members OF an
Illegal organization.
The u. N. Commissions first ses-
sion lasted two and a half hours.
1t received various communications.
Chairman Emil Sandstroem OF
Sweden arranged a broadcast to the
people of Palestine.
Differences Over Homeland.
The basic problem which Great
Britain, the mandate power, laid
before the U. N. was the reconcilia-
ton of the differences of the Arabs
and Jews, both of which demand
Palestine as their homeland. The
Arabs now outnumber the Jews in
Palestine two to one.
Mosques throughout Palestine had
readings of the message from. the
Mufti, Maj Amin Ell Husseini, whom
the British have accused of conniv-
ance with Hitler and Mussolini dur
ing the war.
I'VE of the Arab Higher Commit
tee pledge once more to the nation
that we shall continue our activities
and efforts until the country achieves
independence, and we are prepared
to secriflce all interests and life to
this cause. We call upon all Arabs
to protect the Holy Land, which is
the precious inheritance of our fore
fathers. This land has become
sacred by the visit of the Prophet
Mohamed and also has become
precious because of the manger in
which Jesus Christ was born"
This Arabs called 24-hour general
strike to emphasize their displeasure
over U. N. procedure. The Jewish
Agency co-operated and designated
Moshe Shertok, David Horowitz and
A. S. Eban to furnish factual and
statistical information to a closed
session tomorrow.
Meeting Largely Unnoticed.
The first meeting started almost
an hour late and almost unnoticed
by the people of Jerusalem. The
largest crowd about the council
building was of reporters.
The U. N. Commission arranged
to hear statistical information from
Palestine government representa-
tive today and to hear a Jewish
Agency spokesman tomorrow. 1t
may decide during the day on how
long it will remain in Palestine and
whether to visit displaced persons
camps in Europe. It's report to the
United Nations Assembly is due in
the fall.
The commission has unrestricted
authority for investigation and
recommendation.
The commission is made up OF
representatives from Australia
Canada, Czechoslovakia, Guate-
mala, India, Iran, Netherland, Peru
Sweden. Uruguay and Yugoslavia.