Everythings Going Your Way
Bevins Curse, Like Balaams, Is Changed
Into a Blessing
By OBSERVER
A year ago Ernest Bevin would not agree to admit 100,000
Jews, or any substantial number of them, into Palestine. Had he agreed
then, there would not be a state of Israel today; but he did notand
the state of Israel came into being.
The United Nations did not stand up to its duty and did
not send a force to implement partition, to which it had committed itself.
The Israelis themselves established their state without help from the
outside. Had the United Nations enforced partition, the world would look
upon Israel as an artificial and feeble nation, unable to defend itself.
But as events turned out Israel grew in stature.
The Arabs refused to consent to a peaceful solution of the
Palestinian problem. Their forces, gathered from seven countries, invaded
Palestine. They could not conquer it. Had they not invaded Palestine,
they would have lived under the illusion that the Israelis, like the Jews
in the ghettos of Baghdad and Cairo, are at their mercy. But now they
have invaded Palestine and have met resistance, they have respect for
the Israelis.
The United States maintained an arms embargo on Israel while
the British supplied Arab countries with arms. Israel has therefore developed
in a very short time its own munitions industry, which is an asset during
the truce period when the import of arms is forbidden by the Security
Council. If the United States had not imposed an arms embargo when Israel
was attacked, there would not be a war industry in Israel such as now
is there.
* * *
When the 30-day truce expired, the Arabs thought that the
truce had kept them from conquering all Palestine. So they resumed the
war. In ten days they lost heavily in Galilee, in Saron, on the road to
Jerusalem, and in the Negeb. If they had not resumed the war, they would
have retained many areas; now they have lost them.
The British and the Arabs cut off Jerusalem from its water
supply and the State of Israel from oil, thinking to starve the Israelis
into submission. But the Israelis built a secret water pipe to Jerusalem
that was ready on the very day the Arabs blew up the Latrun pumping station;
now Jerusalem will have water even if the truce will end and the war resumed.
And in Haifa the Israelis seized the refinery which is a British property
and brought oil from outside in tankers for processing. Then the British
practically went on their knees looking for an arrangement that the Iraqi
oil should be again refined at Haifa.
* * *
Whatever was done against the Israelis has turned to their
advantage. Since no one has helped them, they are not obliged to anyone.
In view of all this one wonders whether the American loan will be needed
when the Administration finally gets around to grant it.
To Britain not loans but subsidies are given; likewise to
Greece and Turkey. But the Israelis have asked for a bank loan. Who knows?
Maybe some private banks or industries, or the Netherlands, or Czechoslovakia,
or some other country will come forward with the proposal of a loan in
money or material, and America will lose an opportunity to acquire an
economic position in an important area.
Since everything that was done against Israel has turned
out favorably, one wonders what benefit may be in store for the Israelis
from having 12,000 of their brothers held in the Cyprus death prison?
The British had better let them go.
By suffering so much there, the Israelis have acquired special
rights in the island. The British would be well advised to open the wire
cages before it is too late and they are again the losers.