Editorial Note
The Twelfth Ordinary Session of the Arab League Council opened on March 25 at Cairo. In his welcoming speech, Prime Minister Nahas, Chief of the Egyptian Delegation, suggested that the Council invite a Palestinian Arab observer, not as a representative of the “Gaza Government” but as a “representive of Palestine”. After the speech, Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini, the guiding force of that “Government”, and Ahmad Milmi, its Chief, convinced the Egyptian Prime Minister that a representative of the “Palestine Arab Government” should be invited. Despite the opposition of Azzam Pasha and Salaheddin Bey, the Council extended invitations to Hilma Pasha and two other ministers in the “Gaza Government”. This decision was preceded by a protest by the Jordanian Minister in Egypt to the Egyptian Foreign Minister concerning the unfriendly attitude of the Egyptian press to Jordan, the proposed invitation to a Palestinian Arab to attend the League’s deliberations, and Egyptian opposition to Jordanian annexation of Arab Palestine. King Abdullah was said to have warned that he would not send a delegation to the League meeting until these attitudes changed (telegram 301, March 28, and despatch 662, April 5, from Cairo, 786.00/3–2850, /4–550).
The King actually sent an instruction to his Minister to close the Jordanian Legation at Cairo; but after further reflection, the Jordanian Government issued a communiqué, which, it was hoped, would result in a backdown by the Arab League or force it to expel Jordan [Page 816] (telegram 59, March 29, from Amman, 786.00/3–2950). The communiqué, issued on March 28, stated in part: “To accept what has been prearranged in Cairo would lead to anxiety and turmoil and would cause indignation and fear among our brothers whose destiny is now linked with the destiny of this kingdom.… To engage in arguments about matters which have already been decided upon would be fruitless.… The Jordan Hashemite Government considers that it is sufficient to have the Jordan Minister to Cairo represent it at the Arab League Council meetings. This is on condition that he avoid those matters which this government cannot approve.” (Telegram 58, March 28, from Amman, 786.00/3–2850)