ISRAELI TALKS WITH TWO MORE ARAB STATES

Grey River Argus, 1 March 1949, Page 5

ISRAELI TALKS WITH TWO MORE ARAB STATES

Starting To-day (Rec. 10.10) LONDON, Feb 28

At Tel Aviv an Israeli military spokesman said that peace talks will begin simultaneously to-mor-row on the island of Rhodes and at Ras El Nakura, on the northern Palestine border.

The negotiations on Rhodes are to be with Transjordan, and those at Has El Nakura with the Lebanese. Both are to be carried out under the supervision of Doctor Bunche, acting United Nations' mediator for Palestine.

The “Daily Telegraph” prophesies that there will be some hard bargaining with Israel over the Eastern Negev in the armistice talks due to open at Rhodes to-morrow. He says: “Transjordan, whose forces have not suffered defeat, will be able to take a firmer line with the Jews, than Egypt and will speak also for Iraq. If the spokesmen of both sides think realistically, there seems to be no reason why a common basis for an armistice should not be found, providing that there is breathing space, which is needed in Tel Aviv as well as in the Arab capitals. The terrible plight of the Arab refugees can only be dealt with if some sort ,of provisional stability is restored.”