JEWS ACCUSED OF OF IMPEDING U.N. TRUCE COMMISSION

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22759, 4 October 1948, Page 5

JEWS ACCUSED OF OF IMPEDING U.N. TRUCE COMMISSION

LONDON. Oct. 1

The United Nations Truce Commission in a cable to the Security Council states that the military commander of Jerusalem, Dr. Bernard Joseph, was leading a deliberate' Jewish campaign to discredit the commission and the acting mediator, Dr. Ralphe Bunche, says Reuter's correspondent in Jerusalem. The cable cited Instances of Jewish non-co-operation, such as the Jewish rejection of a proposal to demilitarise the Y.M.C.A. building area, which includes the French and American Consulates, whereas the Arab commander of Jerusalem agreed to the proposal. The Truce Commission had told Dr. Joseph that as long as Jewish officials pretended to exercise governmental authority in Jerusalem, they bore sole responsibility for protecting United Nations’ personnel,

The commission gave a number of examples of practices “hampering the conduct of truce supervision.” These included:

1. The imposition of conditions on travel by commission members, and the refusal of access to certain strategic areas. 2. Lack of co-operation to observers investigating specific incidents. 3. Failure to implement the agreements reached at Government level through the good offices of the mediator and observers.

The cable stated: “Evidence of the disregard for the > authority of the United Nations, its personnel, credentials, flag and markings on vehicles find their most serious reflection in actual assaults upon truce supervision personnel. “Six lives have been lost in truce supervision work, including the life of the mediator himself, and seven men have been severely wounded. “On two recent occasions individual observers have been waylaid and their cars and personal funds taken at the gun-point.” The cable says: “There is little doubt that appropriate action by the Security Council at the time would be helpful in an effort to ensure the maintenance and effective supervision of the Palestine truce.” The cable stressed the liability of each party for any aggressive act against the truce supervision personnel in the territory under its control.