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With your permission, I should like to ask Dr Silver not as an element of final judgment for us, but simply as an element of illustration, what the views of the Jewish Agency for Palestine are regarding the composition of the Investigating Committee. We have up to this point two proposals presented in a formal manner and a suggestion presented by another delegation. I should like to know very much the point of view of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, simply as an illustrative element. Mr Andrews (South Africa) : I would very shortly like to join with my Indian colleague in complimenting Dr Silver on the very moderate, eloquent, and precise address that he has made to this Committee. I am sure that it is going to be extremely helpful to us in our deliberations in considering the question of instructing and setting up this Committee of Inquirv. I would hope, too, that, if we hear any further representatives the high standard which Dr Silver has maintained will be continued before this Committee. I would only ask him one question, and that has relation to the terms of reference which we may be giving this Committee of Inquiry. Dr Silver has referred to the homeless Jews in Europe. If he would be so kind as to help me clarify my own mind, he said that the Committee of Inquiry should look into the condition of the homeless Jews in Europe. I would ask him, does he mean that the Committee of Inquiry should look into that situation as a whole or only in relation to the question of continuing immigration into Palestine ? 3. STATEMENT BY Mr MOSHE SHERTOK, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR PALESTINE Thank you, Mr Chairman, for giving us an opportunity to make a brief statement by way of, first, a preliminary comment on the draft before us. You will appreciate that we have had very little time to formulate a considered opinion on these proposals. I would limit myself to emphasizing a few outstanding points. The Mandatory Government has submitted the problem of Palestine for the consideration of the present session of the Assembly, in view of a crisis which has unfortunately arisen in the administration of that country. That crisis is the result of the fact that the present policy of the mandatory Government conflicts with its obligations to the Jewish people. The crux of the matter is the problem of Jewish immigration to Palestine. What is involved in regard to that issue is not merely the rights ancj. interests of the Jews already in Palestine, or of the present inhabitants of the country in general, but also, and primarily, the rights and interests of the Jews outside Palestine who wish and must emigrate. The formulation before us," we very seriously fear, lends itself open to an interpretation which would go a long way towards prejudging the entire issue which should form the subject of investigation by the Committee to be appointed by this Session of the Assembly. We feel sure that no such prejudging of the issue was intended, but it may be that the implications of certain formulae contained in the present draft have not been fully realized. We should like to draw, with all respect, the attention of this body to such unintended imperfections of drafting. We welcome the reference to the mandatory Power in the present draft, because we regard it as implying the position created by the mandate must be fully borne in mind by the Committee. On the other hand, we feel and fear that the language of paragraph 3 limits the issue in a direction which may work to the prejudice of fundamental Jewish

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