867N.01/10–346: Telegram
The British Prime Minister (Attlee) to the British Embassy 69
London, 2 October,
1946.
The British and Arab delegations participating in the London Conference on Palestine met on 2nd October after an interval during which the Arab proposals had been examined in a joint committee. This committee was appointed to elucidate the meaning and implications of the Arab proposals. This they succeeded in doing and the revised draft was accordingly presented to the full Conference as the Arab plan.
- 2.
- As the British delegation were not in a position to state the views of His Majesty’s Government on the Arab plan they asked for an [Page 701] adjournment. The Arab delegations agreed to this and to the terms of a communiqué which has been issued to the press (text in my immediately following telegram.70)
- 3.
- Among the reasons stated by the British delegation for their need to consider the problem further before declaring their attitude to the Arab proposals were the facts that they had not yet heard the Jewish point of view and the prospect now offered that the Jewish Agency might send a delegation to London. In deference to Arab wishes, however, this consideration was not included in the communiqué.
- 4.
- Together with the Colonial Secretary, I received Dr. Weizmann with some of his colleagues including two from Palestine on 1st October. It was again explained to them that His Majesty’s Government could not agree to release the detained Zionist leaders as the price of Jewish participation in the Conference. We were prepared, however, to examine with them the possibility of a truce in Palestine as a result of which the Jewish Agency would cooperate with the Administration in the restoration and maintenance of law and order, thus enabling the detainees to be released. It was agreed that the Jewish representatives would meet the Colonial Secretary again to discuss this matter and that when the position had been clarified in this respect they would resume contact with me on the broader issue.