U.N.O. TRUCE PLAN REJECTED BY THE JEWS

Grey River Argus, 17 April 1948, Page 5

U.N.O. TRUCE PLAN REJECTED BY THE JEWS

Arabs Would Accept with Conditions

(Rec. 9.15) NEW YORK, April 15. The Jewish Agency’s political officer, Moshe Shertok, told the U.N.O. Security Council to-day that the agency would not accept a Palestine tiuce if it interfered with Jewish plans to establish a autonomous Jewish government on May 16. Consequently, he said, he demanded amendments to the clause in the Big Five’s draft resolution calling a halt to the political activity in Palestine. Moshe Shertok also insisted on a provision for an immediate expulsion of all Arab armed bands from other countreis. Moshe Shertok objected to the proposal that the execution of the truce should be entrusted to Britain, and he also opposed the ban on Jewish immigration. The Arab Higher Committee for Palestine did not commit itself, but the Arab spokesman on the council said that he would accept the truce plan, with some iron-clad conditions. The U.N.O. Security Council finally adjourned until to-morrow night, after M. Gromyko (Soviet) declared that, he had not received any instructions on how to vote on the proposal. JEWISH FORCE ENCIRCLES AN ARAB ARMY LONDON. April 16. Armed men. believed to be Jews, ambushed a number of military and railway trolleys near Rchoboth on Thursday, and killed three British soldiers. According to a Jewish source. T-Taganah forces captured seven 75 m.m. guns and inflicted LOO Arab casualties, in an offensive against fortified Arab villages on the plain of Armageddon.

tt is reported that 2000 Jewish fighters encircled Fawzi el Kaukji’s Arab army in the villages of the Mishmar Haemek area, near Jerusalem. Jewish sources claim that 2000 Jewish fighters over-ran seven Arab villages near Mishmar Haemek in a counter-thrust, which routed Fawzi el Kaukji’s forces. One Jewish source said: "It is a personal defeat for Kaukji, whose own unit was iorced to withdraw”. Ho added that .the Iraqi field commander of the Arabs was killed during the fighting. The Transjordan Foreign Minister. Fawzi Mulki Pasha, indicated that the Transjordan Arab Legion would intervene if Kaukji was unable to extricate his force.

A Cairo message says the Arab League Political Committee sent General Ismail Sawfat Fasha, inspectorgeneral of the Arab “liberation army” by special plane to relieve Fawzi el Kaukji, whose 2000 Arab troops the Haganah forces have isolated in Mishmar Haemek, a village near Jerusalem.

A Jewish spokesman stated that 200 public air-raid shelters will be built in Jerusalem “because of the possibility of Arab air-raids”.

Arms for Jews Flown to Palestine from Czechoslovakia

LONDON, April 15. A Foreign Office spokesman said the British Government had been aware for some time that quantities of arms loaded on aircraft in Czechoslovakia were being secretly flown to the Jews in Palestine. A Skymaster, with United States markings, landed at Prague on March 31. It was loaded under Czech police supervision with seven tons of cargo described as “surgical instruments and small tools”.

The plane’s crew stated that they thought the cargo consisted of arms and ammunition, and on the previous night had flown a similar cargo to the Jews in Palestine.

Reports from Palestine subsequently confirmed that such o ulane had landed.

British Have “Had Enough”

(Rec. 9.25). NEW YORK, April 15. There was no possibility that any British troops would remain in Palestine after August 1 next, said the British Colonial Secretary, Mr Arthur Creech-Jones, on his arrival in New York to-day to attend United Nations sittings on Palestine. He told reporters: “I hope that they will be out before the first of August. Make it quite clear —we are not staying on. We have had enough!”