New D.P.s

The conflict in Palestine, land of refuge for Jews, had created a refugee problem of its own. Panic-stricken over Israeli military successes, 300,000 Arabs had fled from their Palestine homes. With no food and few possessions of their own, they now live in refugee camps among Arab neighbors. Arab governments want to send them back.

This week, U.N. Palestine Mediator Count Bernadotte laid the refugees' plight before the Security Council, insisting that Israel take back the Arabs "despite the enormous difficulties." Israeli officials disagreed. As a struggling new nation on a war footing, they said, Israel could not afford large-scale relief projects. "Furthermore," said one, "the government won't organize a large enemy fifth column, which the return of some of these Arabs would obviously create . . . The ones who are pressing for their return are Arab states who . . . want to be rid of the economic and social problem they have created."

Some of the citizens of Israel had heard that line before.

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