Israel pposes Ceding of Negev; Seeks Direct
Agreements With Arabs on State's Boundaries

TEL„AVIV (Palcor).—The first official comment on the
conclusions and recommendations of the late
UN Mediator
.
Count Bernadotte was made by a spokesman for the Israeli
Government. He stated that:
I) Israel preferred the final settlement *of boundaries
through formal agreement between both contending parties,.

territory with its vast and un- unbroken territorial connection ready to grant all proper facilr
tapped potentialities from which with Jerusalem.
ities for the use of that port by
"3) The situation as regards the neighboring states provided
the Arabs are hardly likely to
make any proper use within the the Arab part of Palestine ap- they are.not -Unilateral but - based
measurable future. This proposal pears to be too confused to on reciprocity. t'or example, it
is
we will oppose. As to the -future justify any comment.
inconceivable that Haifa
but pending this the boundaries
of Lydda and Ramleh one major
should • serve the neighboring
Defend Sovereign Rights
Of the Nov. 29 partition resolu- from the Jewish State of the consideration must be the abso-
"4) Haifa with its port and oil states while the- latter are free
ton remain valid but not bind 7 large area of the Negev compris- lutely vital -necessity for the refineries is and must remain an to boycott Israel's goods. As to
ing, and in need of improvement. ing ' over two thirds of Israel's State of Israel to maintain an integral- part of Israel. We are the oil refineries -all valid com-
2) Israel sees no - justification
missionary rights will be fully
in and will oppose the exclusion
respected.- Beyond that there is
of the Negev area froth her ter- Commentary on 5709's Freedom Struggle
no justification of interference
ritory.
with Israel's sovereign rights.
3) Israel considers itself en-
The same principle of reciprocity
titled to claim Jerusalem as an
as applies to Haifa port should
integral part of its territory nor
govern the facilities to be en-
Can it forego the Lydda-Ramleh
joyed by the neighboring states
By Philip Slomovitz
area • which. constitutes Jeru-
as a result of the operation of
WORLD
JEWRY
is
ushering
out
.
one
of
the
"This
-
attitude
was
reflected
by
many
salem's life-line to the coast.
Lydda air port.
most
imPortant
years
in
our
history
with
sad
who
Were
closest
to
Bernadotte
on
one
hand,
4) Haifa, with its port and oil hearts, and is welcoming a new year with anxiety.
"5) We consider ourselves' en-
and who had the most opportunity to be in
refineries, is and must remain - New tensions have arisen to -make 5709 a year of
titled to claim Jerusalem as an
contact with the Israeli government on the
an integral part of Israel.
integral. part of Israel subject
new trials and tribulations. Some of the historic
-
othelr. know
5 Demobilization of a r me d successes attained in 5708 arebeing challenged
always to all due safeguards for
it is usual to say at a time like
forces, must be on a basis of and once again we are compelled to be on -guard
the inviolability of and free ac-
this that the assassination victim was a great'
complete equality between Israel against threats from - enemies who begrudge Us
cess to- all holy places and
man. I cannot honestly say this of Bernadotte.
the results of our triumphs in the political fields
and the Arab states.
I can say only that within his limitations,
shrines. The imperative need
6) Israel warns that any com- and on the battlefronts.
which were: great, he sought to devote him-
for a territorial link between
The year 5708 was, full of promises, many of
mission for conciliation 'which
self to public service as he saw it.
Jerusalem and Israel's coastal
which
have
been
broken.
We
had
hoped
for
a
loan
"Sometimes he achieved good results and
might be set up in Palestine by
plain has already been stressed.
to
Israel
from
the
United.
States,
but
officials
of
sometimes, as in Palestine, results which were
the UN Must not in any way
"6) The idea of establishing a
not good.
infringe upon the sovereignty of the Export Import Bank now say that its consider-
UN Conciliation Commission
ation
has
been
"postponed
.
.
.
at
the
moment
..
.
"It would be a great mistake for the UN to
the State.
deserves careful study but if
due to unsettled conditions in Palestine." We
try to make Bernadotte's report a 'new testa-
Text of Statement
such a commission is appointed,
asked for a small loan of $100,000,000—a sum
ment'
for
Palestine.
Is
isn't.
- Following is the full text of much smaller than the amount of. Israeli money
_ -
its duties should be limited to .
"It would be far wiser for the UN to call
the Israeli statement:
smoothing - out . difficulties and
that lies frozen in British banks as a result of
upon the carpet British Foreign Secretary.
"1) We wholeheartedly endorse unending British perfidy—but "unsettled condi-
fostering friendly relations be •
Ernest Bevin, Soviet Foreign Minister V. M.
the Mediators' aspiration 'for the tions," for which American and British politicians
tween
Israel and its neighbors.
Molotov and U. S. Secretary of State . George
return of peace to Palestine and are responsible, are invoked - as an argument
They should not extend to any-
C.
Marshall.
It
is
their
attitudes,
their
policies,
against
the
slightest
encouragement
to
struggling
the establishment of harmonious
thing which is tantamount to in-
which caused Bernadotte's death far more
relations between Arab and Jew., Israel.
fringement on the normal sov-
surely
than
the
poor
deluded
lunatics
who
We face new problems on many other fronts,
"2) We welcome his assertion
ereign rights enjoyed by Israel
fired bullets into his .car on that hot afternoon
and
we
must
be
prepared
to
act
on
the
serious
that the State of Israel exists and
in Jerusalem."
as by any other independent
challenges that are certain to arise in 5709 with
will continue in existence.
.
The record speaks' for itself. A sorry mess is state."
"3) We prefer the boundaries dignity and with courage..
*
*
*
blamed on Israel. But the wiser observers know
Admission of Israel to
of. Israel to be fixed by formal
AN ASSASSINATION; by a group of Jews better. For example, T. 0. Thackrey, in an edi- Sterling Bloc Is Delayed
agreement between the contend- antagonistic
to the Israeli Government, is serving torial in the New York Post, on -"Self-Righteous
LONDON (JTA) — A - United '
ing parties. Pending that we re as an excuse for piling up new stalling tactics Hypocrisy," 'thus berates the U. S. stand - in sup-
gard the territorial settlement of at the United Nations conference 'tables against port of the Bernadotte report: "Secretary Marshall, Nations decision on Palestine
November 29th, 1947, as valid the People and State of Israel. Even the state- relying on the atmosphere of shock following the should be applied and supported
but unbinding, and in: need of ments made by Israel's Foreign Minister Moshe murder of Count Bernadotte, calls for a settlement with "vigor," Lord 'Herbert Sam-
on the terms of the anti-Israel program devised by uel declared during the course
certain -improvements in the Shertok are being utilized by political leaders to the
of
Count in his role of United Nations truce a foreign policy debate in the
level charges that Israeli spokesmen had "incited"
light of events since then.
mediator.
The
proposal
calls
for
Israel
to
sur-
"4) Among the principles put to murder with their protests against Count Folke render territory to the Arabs which Israel paid House of Lords. The first British
forward (in the Bernadotte re- Bernadotte. The UN mediator's successor, Detroit- for with the lives of her citizens, murdered in the High Commissioner for. Palestine
born Negro, Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, was most
port) as governing the delimita- ungracious
and proved that he is lacking in defensive war made necessary because the United said he hoped that the Bernadotte
tion of boundaries we miss those judicial temperament when he accused the entire States abandoned her support of the United plan for Palestine would be car-
of defense, in the light of the Israeli government and people of guilt in Berna- Nations partition plan . . . It is a sorry record— ried out with some minor amend-
and Secretary Marshall has added another sorry ments.
dangers we have had to face and dotte's death. It was a dastardly thing to . do!
line to it. The United . States, as of today, has
ward off unaided, and of the
Lord Henderson, Under Secre-
Fortunately, he has seen fit to express his
surrendered her foreign policy _ completely to tary for Foreign Affairs, an-
needs of development by the
"regrets" that any "misunderstandings" have
Great
Britain.
Israel,
however,
has
not.
She
is
absorption of large scale im-
arisen, in a letter to Mr. Shertok.
nounced that readmission of Is-
Bartley C. Crum, 'publisher of the New York not likely to give up at the conference tables rael to the sterling bloc "could
migration.
what
she
paid
fo-
r'in
human
lives.
And
no
lover
"5) Regarding the question of Star, saw through it all when he was in Israel. of freedom in the United States will fail to under- not be considered at present."
Arab repatriation we cannot for-. Upon his arrival in. Paris last week, he exposed stand why."
lie said that the most- fitting tri-
get that the initial attack on the charges against Israel for all they are worth.
bute to Count Bernadotte would
Mr.
Crum
had
shown
his
courage
before—as
a
WE
AGREE!
No
lover
of
freedom
s
_ hould, be acceptance of his proposals
the Jews after the November member of the Anglo-American Commission on
as
under
any
Circumstances,
yield to pressure result-
29th resolution was launched by Palestine. . Here is part of his story about the
ing from the worst type of world power politics the basis for peace in Palestine.
Palestinian Arabs and that the Bernadotte murder as he cabled it to his news- against
British Chief Rabbi Israel Bro-
Israel. Jews, however, are put to the test.
neighboring Arab states justified paper from Paris:
Our people must understand the issues involved. die appealed to the British peo-
their campaign of aggression -
"In Haifa, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, UN
They must know why we have to be on guard ple not -tO permit the use of Ber-
against the State of Israel by a
authorities put out conflicting stories of what . against the erratic statements made by Dr. Bunche nadotte's, murder as a pretext for,
call for help which reached
happened. At first, it was announced that the
and the plots woven by Bevin.
anti-Semitism. In a letter to the
count had been fired upon by a sniper. Then
them from the Arabs within the
• Meanwhile the news from Washington in-
London Times, Rabbi Brodie re-
dicates
an
official
version
said
he
had
been
held
up.
that
both
Democrats
and
Republicans
territory of Israel.
minded the British of the recent
Subsequently= a UN press officer in Haifa
have agreed on some sort of bi-partisan pro-
"6) While the religious and
treatment afforded the Jews by
released
an
official
communique,
very
anti-
gram
to
hush
up
the
entire
Israeli
issue
and
to
international significance of Jeru-
the Nazis and declared the "fatal
ignore
it
in
the
campaign--in
spite
of
the
Jewish
in
tone
and
content,
which
spoke
of
salem is fully realized and res-
temptation" of condemning an
planks in both party platforms in support of
the murderers as riding in 'Jewish type jeeps'
pected we must continue to
entire community for the crime
the Jewish State. Is this a new type of poli-
and described the assailants as wearing the -
stress its unique position in Jew-
tical chicanery?
of an individual has been respon-
`regular uniform' of the Jewish army.
ish history and in present day
American. Jewry, more than any other group, sible for "some of the greatest
'The fact is that almost everyone in
Jewish life as well as the fact
Jerusalem wears what might be described as
faces serious challenges. As the largest Jewish tragedies" in history.
`regular Jewish uniform.' There is no such
that it was the courage and en-
community in the world, as the people who 'must
thing as a 'Jewish type jeep.' A jeep is a jeep.
supply most of the means necessary for the Druze; Kawkaji Offer -
durance of the Jews alone that
evacuation of the DPs from Europe and their To Squelch Arab . Govt.
"I consider this attempt at identifying
saved the city from complete
Bernadotte's assailants with the forces of the
settlement in Israel, we shall have to face facts
destruction and subjugation • to
TEL AVIV (Palcor) — Sultan
provisional government of Israel, or with the
and charges. All the little -Hiders are rising to
Arab rule."
Atrash,' leader of the fierce Drum
overwhelming
majority
of
its
people
as
the
fore
as
a
result
of
Bernadotte's
death.
Those
Expose 'False Equality'
unfair and unwarranted."
who hated us now are finding excuses for stab- tribes of southern Syria, and
Comthenting on the Mediator's
Fawzi bey Kawkaji, erstwhile
Mr. Crum • shows that "the UN has been bing us in the back. -
specific conclusions, the spokes- denying the Holy City to the Jews and refusing
Uninformed writers use the silliest arguments commander of the Arab "irregu-
man stated:
to send in its own force to police the city;" that against Israel. One man, whose claim to lars" in Palestine, have offered
"1) We welcome the emphasis "the military governor of the Jewish section of "knowledge" of - the world situation is based on their services to King' Abdullah
that the present indefinite truce Jerusalem, while owing allegiance to the Tel Aviv his having lived in France for a year and on . of the Transjordan against the
must be superseded by a formal government, does not have "unchallenging having spent a couple of weeks in Palestine Arab "provisional government"
peace. As to an armistice in- control;" that "challenging his authority was taking in all the propaganda that was rolled out for Palestine set up by the - Mufti-
volving `either complete with- Bernadotte and the United Nations itself;" that for him by the- British propaganda presses, had controlled Arab Higher Commit-
drawal and demobilization of "up to the time of Bernadotte's murder, the the audacity to state, in one of the Detroit news- tee, the Jerusalem radio
military governor of Jerusalem was in no position papers—perhaps it was a result of heat of passion
reported.
armed forces or their wide sep- to
wipe out- the Sternists." He emphasizes: "the
-
anger on the day after Bernadotte's death— Czechoslovakia Replies to
aration by creation of broad de- UN claimed authority over the Holy City, but and
that "the general theory has been that the Jews, U. S. Note on Planes to Israel
militarized zones u n d e r UN refused to exercise it.'
because they- lack practical experience in self-
supervision,' we must utter a
PRAGUE (JTA).—The. Foreign
Who, then, is to blame, -Dr. Bunche? Is it government, are not yet able to think and -act
warning against the position of Israel , or the - UN — or, prehaps, the British as a nation." Where does this "general theory" Ministry revealed that the Czech-
false equality. In the first place authorities who have exercised undue influence come from? How does it apply to the Jews who oslovak governrnent sent an an-
the withdrawal of Arab ,armies in all deliberations? * *•
have created Israel or to Jews throughout the swer to 'a U. S. note regarding
of invasion from Palestine does
world who have had an important share in guiding Anierican pilots flying planes
TROUBLES are piling up for Israel, the victor the policies of the, countries of which they are
not involve their diminution
Czechoslovakia to Israel.
many fronts whom the politicians are threaten- - citizens? Doesn't 'a- statement like the one just from
while for the Army of Israel on
"The reply must have dispersed
ing
with
political
vengeance
for
the
death
of
a
,
quoted
.merely
indicate
a
prejudice
bordering
on
to demobilize means to reduce martyred man of peace who is being described
all fears- of the U. S. Govern-
its effective strength. Secondly, as having been highly successful in his mission. viciousness?
Ment," the Foreign Ministry
Yes,
we
shall
have
to
be
on
guard
against
statement 'said.
by accepting the creation of a What are the facts? Let Mr. Crum state them:
many enemies, against all the "little - Hitlers," - The statement denied that
broad demilitarized zone the in-
"The brutal fact is" that Bernadotte's
the
against both misguided and deliberately vicious '
mission was a tragic failure. He did not
Atherican 'note • charged Czecho-
vading armies give up nothing
enemies.
approach the problem with the under-
which is theirs whereas the State
We had hoped for peace of mind in 5709. In-. slovakia with exporting arms to
standing necessary for a successful mission.
of Israel is expected to contract
stead, we ar('facing a new year with tension and Israel. It emphasized that the
His advisers, whose honesty I do not question
the limits of its territorial sov-
anxiety. We shall have to Egli* on for freedom. note dealt only "with the activity
for one moment, were pro-Arab,
We must be preparecioto face obstacles and to meet of planes of Arnerican' origin and
ereignty.
"One of the count's advisers — probably
them—head-on if necessary—with the same American citizens."
"2) In the detailed boundary
his closest-Ltold me the very day of the
courage with which we have triumphed in 5708.
proposals we see no justification
mediator's death that `the Jewish position
We are confident: Israel will win the battle for 2—THE JEWISH NEWS
-
whatsoever for the exclusion
must be kept to a minimum.' -
justice and liberty;
Friday, October 1, 1948

New Year's Serious. Challenge to Israel,

.

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