PALESTINE CEASE-FIRE URGED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22612, 15 April 1948, Page 5

PALESTINE CEASE-FIRE URGED

U.S. SEEKS IMMEDIATE ACTION “CO-OPERATION BY BRITAIN LACKING” (N.Z.P.A.—Reuter— Coryrlgnt.) (11 a.m.) NEW YORK, April 14. The United States has proposed that the Security Council should order the cessation of all political activities in Palestine. This means, in effect, that the Jews would be directed to halt their plans to establish the newly-proclaimed Jewish Government and the Arab League would be ordered to discontinue its reported plans to create a Palestine Government.

The three main points of the plan are:

1. The immediate cessation of all acts of violence 2. The creation of a truce commission to go to Palestine to report on compliance with the cease-fire. 3. A standstill on all political and military actions. The Palestine Commission yesterday released a report to the General Assembly which meets on Friday, in which it strongly criticised Britain for alleged lack of co-operation and stated that unless urgent measures were taken immediately Palestine would be thrown into chaos. The report also stated: “Unless a truce is negotiated and observed the ensuing weeks will witness an intensification of the struggle.” The commission said that a force of 1000 non-Jewish and non-Arab police was required in addition to local Arab and Jewish police to maintain order in Jerusalem. The commission would require at least a battalion for its own protection The Arab League Political Committee, states a Cairo message, has decided to reject the trusteeship proposal for Palestine “unless the United Nations appointed the Arab League, or one of its member States, as trustee.” The Arabs are ready to accept a truce proposal “only if the Jewish terrorists are disarmed, Haganah disbanded and its members expelled from Palestine.”