Arab States Accept Cease-Fire Order In Palestine Fighting

Wanganui Chronicle, 20 July 1948, Page 5

Arab States Accept Cease-Fire Order In Palestine Fighting

JEWISH FORCES GAINED BIG ADVANTAGE DURING NINE DAYS (N.Z.P. A.—Copyright.) Received 7.20 p.m. LONDON, July 19 Transjordan, Egypt and Syria last night cabled Count Bernadotte's headquarters in Rhodes that they had ordered their forces in Palestine to cease fire and comply with the U.N.O. Security Council truce. The Beirut correspondent of the “Daily Mail” says the Arab League leaders reluctantly halted their armies in Palestine and added that there was no doubt the Arabs were forced to accept, the new cease-fire not so much through verbal U.N.O. threats of sanctions but by the actual dwindling of warlike supplies from the Western World arsenals. The Arabs consider that Western politics deprivevd them of a certain victory" against the Palestine Jews.

Highlights of the nine-day fighting between the two ceasefires in Palestine were the Jewish occupation of Lydda Airport, Lydda, Ramleh, Ras el Ain and Nazareth, the shortening of the Jewish supply lines, and the cleaning up of the Palestine coastal plain, thus averting the threat to Tel-Aviv or Haifa.

Reuter’s Tel Aviv correspondent, in giving these features, says the intensified activity of the Jewish Air Force and the appearance of Jewish armoured units on the central front also emerged as important factors. Israeli troops on Saturday night, before the cease fire technically came into efitect at dawn yesterday, captured the Jerusalem suburb of Ein Kapen, rei.utedly John the Baptist's birthplace. Israeli fcrces before the deadline also reached the Latrun-Ramallah Road and captured heights overlooking the Arab Legion supply road. Arab mortai shells which fell in Jerusalem yesterday morning after the beginning of the cease fire wrecked the Hebrew newspaper office "Haboken” with a direct hit.

An Israeli military spokesman claimed that Israeli naval forces early yesterday successfully attacked Arab vessels and installations at Tyre. The spokesman declared that Arab irregulars under Fawzi el Kawakji, were using Tyre as a supply base. In announcing the Arab States’ acceptance of the truce, King Abdullah said that negotiations need not be unduly hurried, but should be carefully and thoughtfully carried out. Azzam Pasha, secretary-general of the Arab League, sent a cable to the United Nations saying that while the Arabs accepted the cease-fire in Palestine they would fully to the truce only on three conditions: (1) The complete cessation of Jewish immigration pending attempts by the United Nations to solve the Palestine problem; (2) the 300,000 Arabs who were refugees must be allowed to return home; (3) that the period of the truce must be fixed. Reuter’s correspondent learns that Syria held out against the truce until the last minute. Arab sources emphasised that in accenting the cease-fire the Arab League refused to admit that the Jewish State existed. The Arabs agreed to the truce "because they could not ignore the will of the big Powers.” Both Transjordan and Egypt have notified Count Bernadotte's headquarters at Rhodes that they have accepted the United Nations order. MEDIATOR, PLEASED. Count Bernadotte, who arrived in Rome en route to Rhodes, expressed pleasure at the acceptance. He said it strengthened the Security Council's prestige. He would spend two or three days in Rhodes arranging the truce observation system, and then resume negotiations with the Arabs and the Jews.

In a bitterly-worded cable the Secretary-General of the Arab League (Azzam Pasha), tonight notified the Secretary-General of the United Nations (Mr. Trygve Lie), that although the Arabs accepted the cease-fire order they were “astonished" by the Security Council's attitude in declaring the Palestine situation a threat to world peace. “The Arab plates do not find any justification la, the Security Council's Attitude except that it is the desire of the great Powers to help the Zionists realise their ambitions in Palestine to the Arabs’ detriment. The Arabs must accept the Security Council’s resolution because of the Security’s Council’s persistence in considering the continuation of hostilities in Palestine a rupture of peace and because the Council expressed the threat to apply sanctions against the Arabs if they refuse to cease fire. This ceasefire will not bring peace to this part of the world.'”

Pasha accused the Jews of having violated the previous truce and said the present truce would only be realised under three conditions. The mediator had told the Security Council the cease-fire would proJit only the Zionists. The Arab States could not accept a truce of indeterminate length. The Lake Success correspondent of the “New York Times” says the Arab agreement to join Israeli in a truce is regarded here as the United Nations' most impressive victory to date. Philip Jessup, United States, said his delegation was genuinely gratified over the success of the United Nations’ efforts. The spokesman for Britain said it was a great relief, although he added that Britain did not believe the final settlement would come quickly or easily. Almost every delegation claimed that the United Nations prestige would inevitably be enhanced by the truce achievement. Recd. 1.15 a.m. London, July 19.

Jewish headquarters in Palestine confirmed %at fighting continued today on almost all sectors of the northern front. The Jewish statement square y blamed the Arabs for violations of the cease-fire order and asserted that the Jewish forces were compelled to counter-attack.