§ 7. Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can state the number of Jews who have been convicted of murdering Jews in Palestine during the last 10 years or any convenient period?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI am not in a position to give the right hon. Member the figures for which he asks. The statistics of crime received from the Palestine Government do not specify by race either the perpetrator or the victim of a crime.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODWould it be possible to obtain these figures from Palestine, as the right hon. Gentleman has done in other cases?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERNo, I do not think it would. I doubt very much whether it would be possible, and I do not think that it would be desirable.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODIs it not desirable in the interests of the inter-racial feeling in. Palestine that it should be made clear that these murders have not taken place between Jew and Jew? In view of the trouble which the Stavisky case has involved, should it not be made clear that there has been no previous case of a Jew murdering a Jew?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERIf it be the object of the question to try and prejudice the case which is now before the Court of Criminal Appeal, then it is perfectly plain that it would be most improper for me to further this inquiry.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODDoes the right hon. Gentleman really think that it would prejudice a case coming before a court of justice if facts of this nature were known to the court?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERAbsolutely.