October 19, 1949 Jewish Refugees from Arab Countries – Iraq

“The Palestine Post reported that a plan to settle 450,000 Palestine Arab refugees in Syria, 150,000 in Trans-Jordan and 100,000 in Jerusalem under an international regime had been submitted to the Middle East Economic Survey Group by the Group’s deputy chief, Sir Desmond Morton.

The proposal made by the Iraqi government to the UN survey mission to exchange 100,000 Baghdad Jews for 100,000 Arab refugees had brought to a head the differences between the British and American views on the Middle East settlement. The official British Foreign Office view on the Iraqi proposal was both reserved and skeptical while American policy was moving slowly without upsetting Arabs anywhere. Gordon Clapp, the head of the Middle East Economic Survey Group, said he planned to tell the UN General Assembly that Arab states appeared ready to give their full cooperation in solving the Middle Eastern problems.

The Anglo-Israel finance talks in London appeared to be deadlocked. So far, no date had been fixed for the resumption of the Anglo-Israeli economic talks in London. Talks, however, continued in Tel Aviv for the settlement of general questions arising out of the establishment of the State of Israel.”

Source: The Jerusalem Post October 19, 2014