INVESTIGATION SOUGHT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 78, 12 January 1949, Page 3

INVESTIGATION SOUGHT

Demand Made by Israel ALLEGATIONS AGAINST BRITAIN (N.Z.P.A.— CoDyritrht). (Rcc. 11.25 a.m.) NEW YORK, Jan. 11. Israel to-day asked the Security Council to investigate the situation between Britain and Israel. The request, which called for investigation under Article 34 of the charter, was submitted in a letter signed by Mr Aubrey Eban (Israel representative). Mr Eban, who released the text of his letter at a press conference, said he had received no instructions from Tel-Aviv to seek an urgent meeting of the Council, as had been reported from Palestine. He said, however, that he would ask for an interview today with General McNaught on (this month’s president of the Council) with a view to bringing the matter before the Council.

Mr Eban’s letter referred to military, naval and air movements on the part of Britain in the Eastern Mediterranean, and said: “Since no British territories or interests in the Eastern Mediterranean are f in any way threatened, it is difficult to assume that these movements are designed exclusively for defensive purposes.”

The letter also stated: “It has come to our notice'that British military preparations include recent manoeuvres in Tripolitania, which were based on simulated landings on the coast of Israel.”

Mr Eban told his press conference that British military, naval and air demonstrations had taken place in “an artificial atmosphere of mounting crisis, accompanied by a bellicose newspaper campaign.” When questioned on his allegations regarding manoeuvres by the British in Tripolitania, Mr Eban could not say in what force these manoeuvres were held. Asked whether Israel was asking for any specific action on its, complaint, Mr Eban replied: “All we are asking at this stage is a process of discussion and investigation.” Mr Eban said it was difficult to accept the interpretation that the military, naval, and air forces assembled by a Great Power around the boundaries of a small State were for defensive purposes. The attitude of British officials had been to conjure up the possibility of a clash with Israeli forces. He said: “It is at least a threat of armed conflict, which everyone would like to avoid. We think our complaint is likely to lead to the relaxation of the. present tension and not to the heightening of it.”

Israel’s letter of complaint referred to an “effort by the United Kingdom to render assistance to Arab States.” It said: “Until recently this aid has been clandestine, and consisted of a steady supply of war materials of all kinds to Egypt, Iraq and Transjordan. Evidence of this supply of arms is in the possession of the Provisional Government of Israel and will form the subject of a communication to the United Nations mediator. Israel desires no conflict with the United Kingdom nor does it in any way threaten the political or tei’ritorial integrity of any of the Arab States with which the United Kingdom has treaty relationship. . “Accordingly the Government of Israel will do everything to ensure that the forthcoming’negotiations for an armistice shall open under the best possible auspices. It is difficult, however, to see signs of similar concern in the attitude of the United Kingdom.”

COMPLAINT BY ISRAEL THREE COUNTS AGAINST BRITAIN (Rec. 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 11. The Israeli Government has instructed its representative on the United Nations to request an urgent meeting of the Security Council to head Israel’s complaint against Britain for “unilateral intervention in the Israeli situation.”

An Israeli spokesman said in TelAviv to-day that the three grounds for complaint to the Security Council were:

Firstly, the despatch of British troops to Akaba. Secondly, provocative and inflamatory actions in sending British aircraft. over Israeli positions in'Negev. Thirdly, warlike activities by the British in Sinai.

An Israeli military spokesman claimed that the five Royal Air Force planes 'shot down near the ""Egyptian border on January 7 were on “a definitely hostile mission indistinguishable from belligerency.” Responsibility for “this tragic incident” rested wholly on-the men who sent the planes on. their mission. Reuter’s diplomatic correspondent says that the full British cabinet will discuss the Palestine situation tomorrow.

ISRAEL SEEKS POST IN NEGEV

DEVELOPMENT OF DESERT AREA (Rec. 10.50 a.m.) NEW YORK, Jan. 11. •Israel contemplated building port facilities at the southern tip of the Negev, adjoining Akaba, said .Isaac Ben-Zvi (president of the Israel National Council in New York) to-day. Ben-Zvi said an Israeli port of the gulf of Akaba would open the way for sea supply to Negev, once the Jewish plans for the development of irrigation of the desert area got under way. Under the United Nations partition plan Israel had five miles of coastline on the gulf. This coastline would become important, if the plans for co-operation in the development of the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas by Israel and Transjordan are carried out. Ben-Zvi is in the United States on behalf of a fund for rehabilitation of Jewish immigrants. In Tel-Aviv to-day a member of the Jewish Agency said that about 250,000 Jews will be brought to Palestine this year most of them from Slav countries’. A total of £5,000,000 will be spent on housing them.