Evening star., 1948-03-21
Our Palestine Reversal


criticism of the strongest kind. But
though the Zionists have reason to be Bit.
terly disappointed by 1t and though it very
probably does damage to the world pres
tige of the United States, the decision to
abandon partition must be judged not in
terms of emotion or of what the heart may
feel to be right, but in terms of the hard
realities of the hour and the vital interests
of our own and other free lands.
Actually, when it voted last November in
favor of partitioning the Holy Land be-
tween the Jews and Arabs, the United
States embarked upon a gamble. In re-
versing itself now, it has in effect admitted
that its original thinking on the subject
was based on premises and assumptions
of much too hopeful sort and that sec
ond thinking has impelled it to change its
mind This adds up to the frank admis-
sion of a mistake-an admission made in
escapable by three basic considerations.
The first of these is the fact that the
United States assumed too much when 1t
assumed that the Arab countries would not
interfere seriously with the u. N partition
ing project. Since last November, how
ever, the evidence has been all to the con-
trary, clearly indicating that the effort to
divide the Holy Land might easily precipi-
tate large-scale warfare of type that
could threaten the general peace in one of
the worlds most crucial strategic areas.
The second consideration is this: That
the outbreak of such warfare probably
would lead the Arabs to acts of sabotage
and reprisal cutting us off from the oil OF
the Middle East and thus striking serious
blow at one of our most important security
resources. Finally, the most important
consideration of all is this: That If we were
to go ahead with partitioning, the large
international force required to put 1t into
effect would almost certainly have to in
clude contingents of the Soviet Army.
In other words, the Russians would be
brought into Palestine; in addition, to pro-
tect their lines of supply, they could be
counted upon either to demand special
concessions from Turkey or, more likely,
to station troops in Middle Eastern lands
like Iran and Iraq Considering what they
have done in Europe and considering what
the free world is doing to keep them out
of countries like Greece, American support
of such an arrangement would carry in
consistency to an almost incredible extreme
of dangerous absurdity.
In the circumstances, therefore, the ad
ministration's somersault on Palestine
makes grim sense, though its handling of
the situation has been anything but ad-
mirable. AS for the substitute proposal to
have the General Assembly create tenn
porary trusteeship over the Holy~Land, it
raises more questions than it answers, but
it at least has the virtue of offering an
arrangement that will keep the Russians
out Beyond that, however, 1t does not
solve the problem Even If the Assembly
approves it by two-thirds vote, and even
if the Arabs agree to it for strictly limited
period, the Palestinian Jews will resist it
bitterly, and the violence will continue.
The big question revolves around who Is
to cope with the violence. Despite United
States contention that the British have no
legal right to abandon the Holy Land man
date at this stage, they insist that they
are going to do so on May IS and that all
their troops will be withdrawn by August l.
If they cannot be persuaded to change
their position, what member or members
of the United Nations will supply the ad-
ministration and force that will be needed
in Palestine in little more than a month
from now? And can the General Assembly
meet on time to approve the necessary
action?
AS the questions suggest, the American
reversal has added new element of con-
fusion to the tremendously complex and
explosive Palestine issue Yet, given the
kind of world we have and the kind of
game that Russia is playing in it, what
other course could our Government have
taken after seeing it's mistake? In chang
ing it's mind, the administration must be
credited with acting in the best interests
of the Nation and ignoring domestic. po-
litical considerations. The critics of the
somersault would be well advised to give
due weight to that.