JEWISH STATE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 140, 25 March 1948, Page 3

JEWISH STATE

PROCLAMATION ON MAY 16 f Trusteeship Opposed (N.Z.P.A-Oopyright). (Ree. 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, Mar. 24 A decision to proclaim a Jewish State was announced by the Jewish Agency and the National Jewish Council in a joint statement after a two-day meeting in Tel-Aviv, says the Jerusalem correspondent of “The Times.”**

The statement said that they would oppose even a temporary trusteeship and demanded immediate recognition of the Jewish Provisional Government. It stated that after May 15 the Jew's would co-operate with the United Nations in combating terror and working essential services, and reiterated that the Jews had no quarrel with the Arabs.

In spite of the decision of the United States, to abandon Palestine partition, the United Nations Palestine Commission decided to go ahead with the partition programme on the ground that only the General Assembly can intruct it to stop work, states a New York message. The Jewish Agency spokesman stated in an, announcement yesterday that the agency’s proclamation of a Jewish State in Palestine on May 16—ithe day after the British mandate ends —was within the framework of the United Nations partitions decision of November 29, 1947, which still stood. The agency was proceeding to establish machinery for taking over under United Nations authority. There was no fresh departure. Hundreds of Arabs swept down on the Jewish settlement of Neev Yeeaeob, a few miles from Jerusalem, killing at least eight' Jews. Other Arabs mined a bus, killing 11' Jews on the Mount Scopus road to Jerusalem.

British Constables Sentenced

Three British constables were sentenced to 10 years’ and seven years’ imprisonment concurrently for the unauthorised carrying of firearms and ammunition, and for unauthorised possession of a police armoured car. They were sentenced at a military court held in the ship\ Ocean Vigour, at Haifa.

The prose®utor alleged that the constables, wearing Arab head-dress, and an Arab) were in a missing police armoured car which fired on a Jewish colony during Jewish-Arab fighting. Troops guarded the ship and harbour entrances during the trial. A later message says that 200 Arabs ambushed a Jewish 60-vehicle convoy between Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem. They killed 12 Jews and wounded 30.

Road mines blew up three J oars, and machinergun and rifle fire disabled three others.