PROPOSALS FOR PALESTINE

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25607, 23 September 1948, Page 5

PROPOSALS FOR PALESTINE

JEWISH OPPOSITION FORECAST U.S. APPROVES MEDIATOR’S REPORT (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 22. Political circles in Tel Aviv think that the Israeli Government will oppose the territorial changes suggested in Count Bernadotte’s last report on Palestine. An Israeli Government spokesman said yesterday that the Government had not yet received the full report. In Paris, the United States Secretary of State (General Marshall/ said that Count Bernadotte’s report offered a fair basis for settlement." The United States Government strongly urged the parties and the General Assembly to accept the report’s conclusions in their entirety.

A British Foreign Office spokesman said that Britain would give close, sympathetic study to the report. “We hope that the report, which is the result of an important and sincere attempt to reach a solution, will be studied very seriously by all the Governments and authorities concerned,” he said.

Sir Alexander Cadogan, in a tribute to Count Bernadotte said: “I believe you will find that before he died, Count Bernadotte was able to' lay a firm foundation on which Palestine peace may be built.” Count Bernadotte’s body was taken to Stockholm by air yesterday. In Tel Aviv, an Israeli Government spokesman said that the screening of suspects was still going on.

__ j j Irgun to Disband He added that the Irgun Zvai Leumi had accepted the Government ultimatum ordering its disbandment and the handing over of eligible Irgun members to the Israeli defence forces. The Government has ordered Irgun members joining the army to take the 2? * allegiance. It has announced that it will not prosecute Irgun members for acts committed against Israel in the past. Lorry-loads of arms and ammunition nave been hauled out of Irgun camps > Israeli arsenals and the disbandment °f the Irgun has been accomplished without incident.

The Israeli Government’s ultimatum to the Irgun Zvai Leumi was received with considerable resentment by both its members and most of the Jewish population,” says the Jerusalem correspondent of “The Times. “At a P r . e _ s s conferenee an frgun spokesman said that they had accepted the ultimatum because of the Government’s threat to use force and in accordance with their desire to Prevent the further shedding of Jewish blood. “The ultimatum included the following directions: the Irgun must accept JJ?® J aW£ L of the ? tate on army enlistment and possession of arms; all members liable to military service must join the army; all arms must be handed over; the laws of Israel are applicable to members of the Irgun. ‘So far members of the Irgun have obeyed reluctantly their leaders’ ins ’u ai l d . n< ? indents have been re P°rted, but it is too early to judge whether all of them will present themselves for military service.”