THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, December 16, 1977 19
30th Anniversary of UN Palestine Partition
Recalls Struggle to Establish Jewish State
By MAURICE SAMUELSON
lap of the United Nations.
He did so at the end of
April when the General As-
sembly convened at Flush-
ing Meadow, New York, in
special session. It decided,
after a fortnight's dis-
cussion, to establish a spe-
cial international committee
to make recommendation
on "all issues relevant to
the problem of Palestine."
The Arabs immediately
made a monumental error
by deciding to boycott the
UN Special Committee on
Palestine, to be known by
its initials UNSCOP.
The Jewish Agency, how-
ever, assigned to it two gif-
ted liaison officers — Abba
Eban and David Horowitz.
They were instructed by
Moshe Sharett, the head of
the Agency's political de-
partment, to work for the
creation of "a Jewish state
in a suitable area of Pales-
tine."
A majority of UNSCOP
members later agreed on a
partition plan for Palestine,
which would provide for a
Jewish state in the Negev,
most of the coastal plain,
the Jezreel Valley and East-
ern Galilee.
After a two-year period of
British or international
trusteeship, Arab and Jew-
ish states in economic union
would become independent.
The plan also envisaged
permanent UN trusteeship
for Jerusalem and Bethle-
hem.
The Jewish Agency gave
the majority plan a qual-
ified welcome. The Arab
Tension was increased on
Sept. 20 when Arthur
Creech-Jones, the British
Colonial Secretary, said that
Britain would not impose a
settlement by force of arms
and that in the absence of
an agreed settlement Brit-
ish troops would evacuate
the country.
In October, Weizmann, al-
though no longer the presi-
dent of the World Zionist
Organization, was called to
join the struggle in New
York. His task, Eban has
recalled, "was to make an
impact on the uncommitted
and wavering delegates who
were being shaken, by the
strong blasts of Arab pres-
sure."
Weizmann's first emer-
gency came when the
Americans suggested reduc-
ing the area of the Jewish
State by depriving it of the
Negev. On Nov. 19, Zion-
ism's ailing leader went to
see Truman in Washington.
On the basis of a memo-
randthm prepared. by Eliahu
Canadian Jews Decry Entry
of Alleged War Ciminal Trifa
Israeli, Egyptian
Greeted by Cheers
at Labor Parley
MONTREAL (JTA)—The
Canadian Jewish Congress
last week renewed its com-
plaint to the Canadian gov-
ernment over the admission
to Canada of Bishop Vale-
rian Trifa who was a mem-
ber of the fascist Iron
Guard in wartime Romania.
The complaint was made by
Alan Rose, CJC executive
vice president, in a letter to
Bud Cullen, the Minister of
Manpower and Immigra-
tion.
Rose noted in his letter
that proceedings have been
started against Trifa, who
lives in Grass Lake, Mich.,
by the U.S. Justice Depart-
ment for cancellation of
Trifa's citizenship on
charges he lied about his
membership in the Iron
Guard when he applied for
U.S. citizenship after World
War II.
Rose declared that the Ca-
nadian Jewish community
was "dismayed - that Trifa
was permitted to enter Can-
ada and that "Canadians of
all faiths" would find
Trifa's presence in Canada
"utterly repugnant."
The letter also pointed out
that "some survivors of the
massacres perpetrated by
the Iron Guard and rela-
tives of those who were
LOS ANGELES (JTA)—
An historic event took place
at the AFL-CIO 12th conven-
tion in Los Angeles when
the leaders of the Israeli
and Egyptian labor feder-
ations met on the same plat-
form, clasped hands and
spoke of peace and friend-
ship to the more than 2,000
delegates representing
America's trade unionists.
Yeruham Meshel, Secre-
tary • General of Histadrut,
and Saad Muhammed Ah-
mad, the Egyptian Minister
of Labor and president of
the Egyptian trade union
federation, were introduced
by AFL-CIO president
George Meany who had in-
vited both of them to appear
at the convention.
As the Egyptian and the
Israeli shook hands warmly
there was silence for about
five seconds as if the assem-
bled delegates could not be-
lieve what they saw. Then a
roar of cheers and pounding
applause rocked the conven-
tion hall as the assembly
rose to its feet in a pro-
longed ovation.
Meany said the intention
of his invitations to Meshel
and Ahmad was American
labor's effort to keep the
Israeli-Egyptian dialogue
going.
LONDON (JTA)—On Nov.
29, 1947, the news flashed
around the world that the
United Nations General As-
sembly adopted the Parti-
tion Plan which paved the
way toward establishing the
Jewish state in Palestine.
Chaim Weizmann called it
"a moment unfading in the
memory of man." There
was wild rejoicing through-
out the Jewish world. A
Hebrew poet wrote : "He
that had not seen the joy of
that night had never in his
life seen joy."
To the surprise of Britain,
however, which had calcu-
lated on the UN being hope-
lessly deadlocked, the So-
viet Union gave the Jewish
independence struggle
steadfast support, not only
at the UN, but also with
vital arms supplies (through
Czechoslovakia) while the
Americans ordered a gener-
al arms embargo.
Britain had begun wearily
to acknowledge the diffi-
culty of remaining in Pales-
tine at the end of the pre-
vious year. Another London
round-table conference had
ended in failure. The Jewish
underground was harrying
the British army and the
tidal wave of displaced per-
sons surged towards the
land of Israel.
Foreign Secretary Ernest
Sevin, not a man easily to
admit defeat, bitterly
threatened to "wash his
hands of the whole busi-
ness" and thrust it in the
murdered are presently liv-
ing in Canada."
Trifa entered Canada
about two months ago,
spurring rumors he planned
to settle there. He spoke at
a Montreal rally recently
but his exact whereabouts
now in Canada are not
known.
The U.S. Attorney's Office
in Detroit had no informa-
tion on whether Trifa had
left the U.S. An attorney
said the government's case
was still in the "discovery"
stage of corroborating testi-
mony.
Bonds' Rabbis Unit
Plans Aid Drive
NEW YORK (JTA)—The
congregations which have
always been a strong factor
in the Israel Bond cam-
paigns, will be responsible
for the sale of approx-
imately $100,000,000 this
year, it was reported at the
annual meeting of the Na-
tional Rabbinic Cabinet of
State of Israel Bonds in New
York City.
Plans to expand economic
aid to Israel in IS78, Israel's
30th anniversary, were
mapped at the meeting.
League rejected not only
the majority plan but the
alternative as well.
The scene shifted back to
the UN headquarters in
New York for what Abba
Eban termed "the most cru-
cial political struggle in
modern Jewish history."
Success for the Jews de-
pended on uniting America
and the Soviet Union in sup-
port of UNSCOP's partition
plan. Most observers
thought this was unlikely.
New Category of Jewish Literature
Elat, he successfully per-
suaded the President about
the need for a maritime
outlet to the east at Aqaba.
On Nov. 29, the General
Assembly voted for parti-
tion by 33-13 with 10 absten-
tions, thus providing the
necessary support for a
Jewish state.
The Soviet Union and the
United States, together with
many European states and
most of the Latin Ameri-
cans, were in favor. So were
Australia, Canada, South
Africa and New Zealand.
But India, with its large
Moslem population, backed
the Arabs in opposing parti-
tion. Britain did not take
part in the vote.
Palestinian Jewry re-
jc.;ced throughout the night,
but on the next day Arab
gangs killed Jews in Haifa,
Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Lydda, Je-
rusalem and on the roads.
Pogroms broke out in
Damascus, Aleppo, Bag-
hdad, Beirut and Aden.
From Damascus, the Mus
lim anti-Jewish leader
Haj Amin el-Husseini, pro-
claimed an Arab general
strike in Palestine.
A little over a week later,
on Dec. 11, Britain an-
nounced that the Mandate
would be terminated on
May 15, 1948, when the last
British forces would leave.
But Britain would not allow
United Nations forces to su-
pervise the _partition plan.
Israel's war for independ-
ence had begun.
- MAGICIAN 1
" Available For All Occasions
25
years experience
MAGICAL MEL
547-2464 _
LOS ANGELES—Robert
F. Poindexter has opened
up a new category of Ameri-
can Jewish literature—
black Jewish humor.
Poindexter, the product of
Omaha's black ghetto, re-
cently has written and pub-
lished a book entitled,
"Black Jewish Humor and
Reflections."
A convert to Judaism,
Poindexter has led an even-
tful, albeit controversial
life. He has been a prison
inmate, a college student, a
pianist and is currently a
pre-rabbinical student.
Poindexter's "Black Jew-
ish Humor and Reflections"
is available by writing him
at P.O. Box 4454, Los Angel-
es, Calif., 90044.
CY
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