§ 2.40 p.m.
§ LORD ALTRINCHAMMy Lords, I beg to ask the noble Viscount, the Leader of the House, the question of which I have given private notice—namely, whether His Majesty's Government have 2 any statement to make on the situation in Palestine.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (VISCOUNT HALL)My Lords, I regret to have to inform your Lordships that the situation in Palestine is still bedevilled by crimes of violence committed by the extremist terrorist groups. After a brief period of comparative calm extending over the Zionist Congress at Basle in December, the new year saw a recrudescence of bomb outrages, culminating in an explosion at police headquarters in Haifa on January 12 when five members of the Palestine Police lost their lives and over fifty were more or less seriously wounded. Following on the flogging of a British officer and N.C.O.'s, carried out as a reprisal for the execution of a sentence of eighteen strokes on a Jewish youth of seventeen convicted of taking part in armed robbery, searches for terrorists were intensified by the police and military. In these operations, which lasted for over a week, more than thirty wanted persons suspected of being members of terrorist groups were arrested. The representative leaders of the Jewish community have denounced terrorism in the strongest terms and it is to be hoped that realization by the Jewish community in Palestine of the damage to their own cause, which inevitably results from the action of irresponsible extremists in their midst, will lead to closer and more fruitful co-operation with the authorities responsible for law and order.
I am sure your Lordships will join me in assuring the police and troops in Palestine of our whole-hearted support in the trials and dangers with which they are 3 faced and our admiration for their courage and fine discipline often under great provocation. A tribute is also due to the officials of the Civil Administration, who, despite many difficulties, have maintained at a remarkably high level the ordinary day to day government of the country. On the security side, close co-operation exists between the civil and military authorities, and all possible steps are taken to minimize the risk to British lives and property and to safeguard the interests of law-abiding citizens.
Your Lordships will not expect me to make any statement on long-term policy at this time. The Palestine Conference is about to resume, and on this occasion, in addition to representatives from the Arab States, a delegation representing the Palestine Arabs will take part in the discussions. I regret to say that, as a result of a decision reached at the Zionist Congress at Basle, representatives of the Jewish Agency are not prepared to join the Conference in present circumstances. Advantage has been taken of the recent visit to London of the High Commissioner for Palestine to discuss with him the whole range of outstanding political and administrative problems affecting the country, including questions of long-term policy. A full examination of the difficulties facing His Majesty's Government in Palestine has been carried out, and it is our earnest hope that as a result of the forthcoming discussions we shall see a final solution to this long outstanding problem.
§ LORD ALTRINCHAMMy Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Viscount, the First Lord of the Admiralty, for his reply. We on this side of the House would particularly like to associate ourselves with the tribute which he paid to all ranks of the Services in Palestine and all ranks of the Civil Administration. I am sure that I represent the strong feeling in all parts of the House when I say that they have shown a devotion to duty, discipline and forbearance of which we can all be proud. I agree with the noble Viscount that the time for discussing the solution of the Palestine question has not yet come. A Conference is about to meet, and there is a Motion on the Order Paper for discussion later on. But, before I sit down, I would like to associate myself with the appeal which the noble Viscount made to the Jewish Agency and to the Jews to 4 do all that they can to put an end to terrorism in Palestine. I believe that their co-operation is absolutely essential, and that it is in the interests not only of peace in Palestine but of Jewry throughout the world.
THE EARL OF PERTHMy Lords, on behalf of the noble Lords on these Benches I wish to say that we associate ourselves with the tribute which has been paid to the Palestine Administration for the manner in which they are carrying out their very difficult tasks. We also, whether we are Zionists or not, share most strongly in the detestation of terrorism which has been expressed. I sincerely hope that the forthcoming negotiations may lead to a successful solution of this most thorny problem.