Ali thought the occupied Arab territories, or many of them, might be returned, but that the Palestinian problem would not be solved. "If you can't live in your own home, you never settle down, you never forget it. Palestinians have got to have the right to our own land."
I asked what attitude they took toward Jewish people. Were they and their fellow Arabs against all Jews?
Aziz said, "No, but to be truthful, some are. But most are only against Zionist Jews. Jews and Arabs could live together. We want a democratic Palestine. We don't want a Christian, or Jewish, or Moslem rule, but one where we all are equal, where no sector is higher than others. This will happen only when the Zionist state is eliminated."
November 1, 1948
The "tough" attitude of the Henri Queuille regime toward the
mine strike that began Oct. 4 has brought France to the verge
of civil war.
The miners' demands are modest. They ask that their present wage of $57 a month be raised $13 to make up for the decline in their living standards due to skyrocketing prices. To guarantee the new minimum level they ask a sliding wage scale.
The troops were ordered to take over the mines and moved forward with tear gas against the strikers and their wives, who hurled missiles at the steel-helmeted soldiers.
The government thereupon ordered police and troops to fire on the strikers "when necessary" and mobilized 40,000 army reservists. At St. Etienne, troops opened fire on the miners with their rifles, killing two and wounding forty.