HL Deb 23 July 1946 vol 142 cc801-4

4.8 p.m.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DOMINION AFFAIRS (VISCOUNT ADDISON)

My Lords, I think your Lordships will pardon my interrupting our proceedings on the Orders of the Day at tins point, in order to acquaint the House with a statement that my right honourable friend the Prime Minister has just made in another place, in answer to a Private Notice question on the subject of the bomb outrage at British Headquarters in Jerusalem. I will, if I may, read it to the House in the terms of the Prime Minister's statement, of which I have a copy here:

"Honourable Members will have learned with horror of the brutal and murderous crime committed yesterday in Jerusalem. Of all the outrages which have occurred in Palestine, and they have been many and horrible in the last few months, this is the worst. By this insane act of terrorism ninety-three innocent people have been killed or are missing in the ruins. The latest figures of casualties are forty-one dead, fifty-two missing and fifty-three injured. I have no further information at present beyond what is contained in the following official report received from Jerusalem: 'It appears that, after exploding a small bomb in the street, presumably as a diversionary measure—this did virtually no damage—a lorry drove up to the tradesmen's entrance of the King David Hotel and the occupants, after holding up the staff at pistol point, entered the kitchen premises carrying a number of milk cans. At some stage of the proceedings, they shot and seriously wounded a British soldier who attempted to interfere with them. All available information so far is to the effect that they were Jews. Somewhere in the basement of the hotel they planted bombs which went off shortly afterwards. They appear to have made good their escape.' "Every effort is being made to identify and arrest the perpetrators of this outrage. The work of rescue in the debris, which was immediately organized, still continues. The next of kin of casualties are being notified by telegram as soon as accurate information is available. Your Lordships will wish to express your profound sympathy with the relatives of the killed and with those injured in this dastardly outrage. The High Commissioner, Sir Alan Cunningham, is returning to Palestine by air. As the House knows, His Majesty's Government are at this moment in consultation with the Government of the United States with a view to arriving at proposals for a just settlement of the Palestine problem, which will be placed before representatives of both the Arabs and the Jews. His Majesty's Government have stated, and state again, that they will not be diverted by acts of violence from their search for a just and final solution of this problem."

4.12 p.m.

VISCOUNT CRANBORNE

My Lords, I am quite sure that noble Lords in all parts of the House, whatever may be their views as to the future of Palestine, will wish to reprobate this revolting and senseless crime and to support the Government to the full in maintaining that high level of order and justice which is in the best interests of the people of Palestine themselves. Terrorism is a futile and a wicked weapon; it solves nothing and can only recoil on the heads of those who use it. Let us by all means, as the Leader of the House has said, not be diverted from the task of finding a just and durable solution of the Palestine problem, but it is surely equally the duty of his Majesty's Government and of the leaders of the various Parties in Palestine to see that terrorism is utterly stamped out. May I finally join the noble Viscount, the Leader of the House, in expressing, on behalf of those who sit on these Benches, our profound sympathy with the relatives of the victims of this deplorable outrage?

4.14 p.m.

THE EARL OF PERTH

My Lords, I wish to express my regret at the fact that my noble friend Lord Samuel cannot be in his place this afternoon, as he would have wished to be, owing to a long standing public engagement. We who sit on these Benches join in the strongest measure of reprobation of the terrible outrage which has occurred, and extend our sympathy to the innocent victims and to their families. It would be, I think, inappropriate to go beyond this particular phase of the question and to enter upon a discussion of the Palestine question proper, as I understand we are to have a debate on it next week. I would, however, like to say that I earnestly trust, however abominable these outrages may be, that they will not give rise to an increase of anti-Semitism in this country. That would be really a tragic event and would almost lead to a triumph of the ideas of Hitler. I feel that that can be avoided by the exercise of tolerance and common sense, both of which qualities the British people happily possess to a marked degree.

4.15 p.m.

LORD STRABOLGI

My Lords, I wish to re-echo the sentiments of sympathy expressed by my noble friend and by the two other noble Lords with the relatives of the victims of this appalling outrage, but I think it would not be out of place if sympathy were also extended to Dr. Weizmann, the President of the Zionist organization, and others who have been, in good times and ill times, friends of this country and who are trying to find an equitable solution. Their position is made almost impossible, and I think they also are deserving of the sympathy of all members of your Lordships' House.

4.16 p.m.

THE MARQUESS OF READING

My Lords, I think perhaps your Lordships will allow me, particularly in the absence of my noble friend Viscount Samuel, to say one personal word, and it must be personal, although I am entitled to express the hope that what I say has the assent of the Jewish community at large in this country. I only desire at this stage to express, as strongly as I can, my condemnation of an outrage as brutal as it was deliberate and as futile as it was dastardly. I should like to add also an expression of sympathy with those who have been injured and with the relatives of those who have been killed. Perhaps I may make one plea. People are very apt to generalize, and for some reason perhaps particularly apt to generalize about Jews. I would ask your Lordships' House and the people of this country, in spite of the provocation of this outrage, to take thought before they indulge in any universal condemnation, and to exercise such discrimination as may be possible to them at such a moment, remembering that however deeply the great majority, if not all of us, may abhor these outrages, we are powerless to influence the perpetrators of them. I hope that, not because but in spite of what has happened, His Majesty's Government will proceed urgently to the production of a policy which may commend itself to the world in general as fair to the Arabs, just to the Jews and worthy of Great Britain.