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Israel's Hopes
,In 1949
"Throughout
the World

A Wee kly

Read Smolar's
Column on Page 2

'VOLUME 14—NO. 16

W
. I S H NEWS

si of Jewish Events

2114 Penobscot Bldg.—Phone WO. 5-1155 Detroit 26, Michigan, December 31, 1948

Dr. Weizmann's

Autobiography:

'Trial and Error'

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Column on Page 2

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Israel's Victory Decisive; Gaza
Captured; End of War Predicted

Direct Teletype Wires by JTA and Jewish News Special Correspondents

Israel's triumph over Egypt, in the hostilities which were resumed
last week, were so decisive that, barring unexpected new developments, the
war may be expected to come to an end very soon.
A Jewish Telegraphic Agency cable to The Jewish News from Tel
Aviv states that the nearest broadcasting station on Cyprus, which is con-
trolled by the British Foreign Office, reported that the Israelis captured
Gaza and found there 160,000 refugees. The report states that the Israelis .
cut off ,the Egyptian road from Gaza to the south at a point 20 miles south
of this ancient city.
An Israeli official announcement said • that six Italian-made fiat
planes piloted by Egyptians were intercepted by Israeli planes. They ap-
parently were heading to drop supplies to Egyptian troops in Faluja. The
Jewish pilots shot down one plane, drove off the others, and damaged three.
A spokesman for Israel confirmed the report that additional Negev
territory was freed from the Egyptians. UN observers reported that the
strategic hill between Khan Yunis and Rafa was captured by the Israeli
forces. A Jewish spokesman said that if the Security Council gives a cease
fire order, Israel will certainly comply with it.
Commenting on the assassination of the Egyptian Premier, Mohmoud
Fahmy Nokrashi Pasha, by an Arab in Cairo, the_ Israeli spokesman said
that "apparently he was as unpopular with Egyptians as he was with us."
• Meanwhile, in Paris, the British UN delegatioilt demanded that the
Security Council issue a cease fire order in the Negev, and called for the
implementation of the Nov. 4 resolution which ,asked the withdrawal of • Is
raeli troops from Negev positions won after Oct. 16. Maurice Fischer,
Israeli spokesman, replying to Egyptian charges of violence of the truce,

.

said that the Egyptians, being on Israeli soil,' are the aggressors and are not
complying with the Nov. 16 resolution which ordered discussions for an
armistice among the belligerents. Fischer criticized Dr. Ralph Buriche's
report on the Negev situation for not mentioning the situation regarding the
armistice resolution.
United Nations truce observation headquarters in 'Palestine has
cabled ,the Security Council charging that the Egyptians are responsible
for the, outbreak of current fighting in the Negev, thellebrew press reports.
A country-wide blackout was reimposed following air raids in the
Gaza, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Nazareth and Jericho areas.
The Canadian Government has granted Israel de facto recognition, it
was announced Friday by Lester Pearson, Minister for External Affairs,
at a press conference. Pearson said that Israel had given r‘satisfactory
proof" of complying with the essential conditions of statehood.
The news of :the government'S action was received with elation in
Jewish communities throughout the Dominion.
Moshe Shertok, Israeli Foreign Minister, cabled the Canadian Gov-
ernment his government's "deep appreciation" for the de facto recognition
granted by the. Dominion: Shertok's m e s s age declared that Israel
is anxious for a rapid restoration of peace and a final settlement of all
outstanding questions either directly or through the UN Conciliation Corn-
mission, and.regards Canada's recognition _as an important contribution to
this end.
While Israel is accepting the cease fire orders from the UN, it is evident
that the Jews will consistently refuse to move from the Negev.
President Truman has named Joseph B. Keenan of Kansas City as
the U. S. member on the UN Conciliation Commission for Palestine.
.

`We, the People'
1,

Israel s Proposed Constitution Is
Highly 'Social-Minded' Document

By DAVID SCHWARTZ

(Copyright, 1948, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

The draft of the proposed constitution of Israel begins '
with the same words as the American constitution: -"We, the

people .
The Israeli draft has not yet been finally ratified, but it
may be -assumedit, with things moving as speedily as they are in
Israel, that it will not take as long to adopt the Israeli consti-
tution as it took the United Stites to adopt its own. The very
term, "We, the people," was much debated. What do they mean?
cried Patrick Henry, by saying, "We the people," instead of
"We, the States." Patrick Henry declared that this indicated
that the new constitution would, practically speaking, abolish
the states. When we remember all the controversy of that day
with respect to the Constitution and everything else about the .
making of the new nation, it should • teach us not to be too
worried when we hear of controversy in and about Israel.
Some of the delegates to the Philadelphia convention in
1787 left in themidolle of the convention, feeling sure that it
would E•e_iifipossible to reach an agreement. The aged Franklin
who had never been much of a religious roan, offered a mttion
that the sessions of the convention be opened with prayer, in

the hope that somehow this would be conducive to harniony.
If a sparrow cannot fall, save it be by God, said Franklin, • how
can an empire rise? When we recall that this 'same Franklin as
a bOy was very economical of prayer—he suggested to his father
that a prayer be recited before the barrel of sausage instead of

1'%I ear ilistradut Children's Village:

Histadrut, the Jewish
labor movement in Israel, has established a new children's village—Onim—at Kfar Saba, in the Jew-
ish State. A population of 200 boys and girls is r eceiving physical and spiritual guidance of Onim.

(Story about Detroit Histadrut on Page 5)

before each individual dish—we may possibly get some realiza-
tion of the difficult situation at Philadelphia, .
When the convention finally succeeded in Mustering suffi
dent votes to adopt the draft, the end . of the battle was still a
long way off. The Constitution had to be ratified by each of the
13 original states and every line of it was microscopically dis-
sected. In the attack, no holds were barred. In Massachusetti
criticism was levelled at
on the ground that it contained no
mention of God. A preacher delegate offered this criticism. A

lawyer delegate, defending it, pointed out that one of the books
of the Bible was marked by a similar omission.
The preacher delegate challenged the lawyer and pffered to

(Continued on Page