UN Palestine Commission – Jewish seaport and hinterland – Memorandum from United Kingdom

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28 January, 1948

UNITED NATIONS PALESTINE COMMISSION

(Memorandum from the United Kingdom Delegation to the United Nations)

The attached memorandum was handed to Mr. Bunche by Mr. P.S. FALLA of the United Kingdom Delegation to the United Nations on 28 January 1948 and it is hereby brought to the attention of the Commission.

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PALESTINE COMMISSION
EVACUATION OF A JEWISH SEA-PORT AND HINTERLAND

In the discussion with the Commission on the 21st January, following his answer to the second of the questions on immigration, the representative of His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom undertook to submit to the Commission a memorandum giving the reasons why His Majesty’s Government were unable to fulfil the recommendation concerning the evacuation of a sea-port and hinterland contained in Paragraph A, Part I of the General Assembly’s resolution.

The recommendation provides that:

“The Mandatory Power shall use its best endeavours to ensure that an area situated in the territory of the Jewish State including a sea-port and hinterland adequate to provide facilities for a substantial immigration shall be evacuated at the earliest possible date and in any event not later than the 1st February, 1948.”

His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom have given the most careful consideration to the possibility of implementing this part of the Assembly’s resolution. They felt compelled to reach their decision that they cannot fulfil the Assembly’s recommendation, first, because its fulfilment would be contrary to their conclusion that it is impossible for them to lay down the Mandate piecemeal; secondly, because the opening of a Jewish seaport to the introduction of unlimited numbers of Jewish immigrants and possibly to the unregulated importation of arms would undoubtedly produce a most serious deterioration of the security situation in Palestine with incalculable effects upon the maintenance of the Mandatory administration, the preparations for the withdrawal of the British element in the administrative machine in the evacuation of British troops and stores which is already proceeding.

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