ADVANTAGE TO ISRAEL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 75, 8 January 1949, Page 5

ADVANTAGE TO ISRAEL

EGYPT GRANTED A CEASE-FIRE Agrees to Negotiation (N.Z.P.A.—Copyright) LONDON, January 7. Israel has accepted a request by Egypt for a cease-fire in the Negev. The Tel-Aviv correspondent of “The Times” says it was stated earlier that if the Israeli Government ordered a cease-fire, Egypt would agree to negotiate on the carrying out of the United Nations Security Council’s recent resolutions on Palestine. According to correspondent, the Egyptian request was received with considerable surprise in Tel-Aviv. It is regarded as evidence of a great political as well as military victory for Israel. For the first time, an Arab country has expressed its willingness to sit at a conference table with Israel’s representatives. There is jubilation in Jewish circles that the initiative was supplied by Egypt. “A resounding defeat in the Negev is obviously the reason for Egypt’s .sudden willingness, not only to call a halt to the fighting, but to discuss conditions for an armistice, and possibly arrangements for an eventual peace conference,” the correspondent continues. “This is not perhaps a happy background for discussion, and the , Israeli Government will be prepared to make only a token withdrawal of its troops from the Negev. However, for the first time in many weeks ,the United Nations’ mission in Palestine is unofficially showing some optimism.” ■ A United Nations officials in Haifa re ; ported that the leaders of the Egyptian garrison encircled in the Faluja pocket have ’ indicated their willingness to surrender, after an 80 - day siege. A request for a conference to arrange the surrender terms has been made to the United Nations representative at Gaza.

An Iraqi communique issued in Bagdad says that Iraqi artillery and machine-gun fire inflicted heavy casualties on Israeli forces, in renewed fighting in the Qalqilya sector of the Iraq-Palestine front.

EGYPT ACCEPTS OFFER OF MEDIATION REPORTED MOVEMENT OF BRITISH TROOPS (Rec. 1 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 7. It was announced in Cairo to-night that Egypt has accepted the United States Government’s offer of mediation to end fighting in Negev “on condition that necessary measures are taken to ensure implementation of the Security Council’s decisions.” The Foreign Minister (Dessouki Abaza Pasha) denied that the forthcoming talks on Palestine in which Egypt would take part would be peace negotiations. He said that discussions .were to establish a truce and implement the Security Council’s decisions. The “Daily Telegraph’s” correspondent at Cairo says that it is expected that a simultaneous official announcement will be made shortly in London and Cairo that British troops and R.A.F. planes have been sent from the Suez Canal zone to the Red Sea port of Akaba, in south-western Transjordan, as a precautionary measure against Jewish- incursions from Palestine. It is understood that there has been no contact between British and Jewish troops, but Jewish columns are reported to be moving in the direction of Akaba. The transfer of the British contingent has been kept a close military secret and its strength has not been revealed,

THE “CEASE“FIRE” BROKEN TWO LOCAL FIGHTING ACTIONS i (Ree. 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 7. The Israeli spokesman in Tel-Aviv said that two local .fighting actions on a limited scale broke the “cease-fire.” He also said that Egyptians in the Rafah region counter-attacked and were beaten back. At Rdmat Hakovesh, in the central sector, Iraqis succeeded in taking some ground which previously had been held by the Jews.

“PROMISE OF PERMANENT PEACE” . OPTIMISM OF ACTING - MEDIATOR l(Rec. 10.5 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 7. The aeting-Palestine Mediator (Dr. Birache) asked Egypt andi Israel to-day to open formal negotiations for an armistice on Rhodes next Tuesday or Wednesday. Dr. Bunche told the Security Council’s special Palestine committee at Lake Success that the new Israel-Egyptian cease- ' fire and agreement to negotiate held a promise of permanent peace for the Holy Land.

Dr. Bunche said there was no reason for the cohimittee or full Security Council to take further steps in the Palestine dispute until the result of the armistice talks is known. While he still awaited 'formal notification from United Nations observers on the scene Dr. Bunche told tiie committee that he had every reason to believe that both Egyptian and Israeli iorces had stopped lighting in the Negev desert at noon (G.M.T.) to-day. The Associated Press correspondent at Tel-Aviv says it is not yet possible to assess 'The effectiveness of the cease-fire order to the Jewish foices because of the size of the uieu involved. Heavy fighting was reported from the central sector of Palestine to : day and last night, when Iraqi troops attacked a Jewish-held height. This action is regarded as a local one. . ~ In a preliminary reaction to the report that the Israeli Government had accepted a cease-fire in 1 ales-

tine, the British Foreign Office spokesman said that if this meant that the Security Council’s resolutions of November 4 aid I November 16 were to be honoured Britain would welcome it. It was pointed out, however, that the resolution of November 4 called upon both sides to withdraw to lines Held on October 14 and this would entail considerable withdrawal of Jewish forces.

Meanwhile, according to the British Foreign Qffice spokesman, a fresh contingent of Jewish troops has entered Egyptian territory and is now three miles south of the frontier post of Rafah. .

The spokesman said that' this information had reached the Foreign Office from British sources. He had no details beyond the fact that the incursion, was believed to have taken place yesterday. ' . In Tel-Aviv to-day Colonel lgal Yadin (Israeli army operational chief) said that the fighting in the past fortnight cost the Egyptians 2500 casualties His troops surprised the Egyptian's by using the 2000-year-old Roman road to Beersheba .after persuading them that the main threat was to Gaza. Colonel 5 adin said that the Jews then attacked the Gaza strip and to-day were • “pounding at the gates of liafah.” Israeli forces held the road from Gaza to the frontier, but the Egyptians occupied the coastal strip mid another pocket at. Ealuja, where they had been for over two months. The Egyptians*at Bir Asjuj and Auja had been wiped out. The Israeli Government spokesman in Tel-Aviv angrily described the British Foreign Office statement concerning Czech arms supplied to Israel as “a smear campaign now that they have lost the battle against Israel.” The spokesman said when Israel was invaded on May 15 the Jews got arms from any place they could and by any means they could to defend themselves Britain seemed to begrudge them the right to fight, forgetting that Mr Churchill once said he would do business with the Devil provided it saved England.