May 15—22, 1948. KEESING'S CONTEMPORARY ARCHIVES 9273 MAY 15—22, 1948 Jones pointed out the great strategic importance of Jerusalem A. PALESTINE. — End of the British Mandate. - to both Jews and Arabs, believed that the proposed force of Proclamation of the State of Israel. - Jewish Cabinet 1,000 men would be inadequate for its purpose, and expressed formed under Premiership of Mr. Ben-Gurion. - Special the opinion that the safety of Jerusalem could not be effectively Palestine Session of U.N. General Assembly. - Trustee­ secured in the absence of a truce covering the whole of ship Council Meetings. - Jews and Arabs accept Mr. Palestine. Harold Evans as Municipal Commissioner for Jerusalem The President of the Trusteeship Council (Mr. Francis after Mandate. - Assembly Resolution for Appointment B. Sayre, U.S.A.) on April 27 met Mr. Moshe Shertok (of the of U.N. Mediator in Palestine. - Security Council appoints Jewish Agency) and Dr. JamalHusseini (of the Arab Higher Consular Truce Commission. - Red Cross Efforts for Committee) in an attempt to obtain their signatures to an Neutralisation of Jerusalem. - Despatch of British agreement for a truce in Jerusalem, and on the following day Military Reinforcements. - Jews capture Safad and occupy announced that both Mr. Shertok and Dr. Husseini had agreed Jaffa after Arab Surrender. - Arab States invade Palestine to recommend to their respective communities in Palestine : after Termination of Mandate. - Martial Law in Egypt, (a) the immediate cessation of all military operations and Iraq, Transjordan, Syria, and Lebanon. - Unified Arab acts of violence within the Old City of Jerusalem ; (6) the Command under King Abdullah. - Egyptian Air Raids issue of cease-fire orders to this effect at the earliest possible on Tel Aviv. - Emergency Meeting of Security Council. - moment ; and (c) that the keeping of the truce should be U.S.A. recognises Israel. observed by an impartial commission reporting to the The 25-year-old British mandate over Palestine ended on Trusteeship Council. May 15, on which date the High Commissioner, General Sir At the Trusteeship Council's meeting on May 3 Mr. Sayre Alan Cunningham, left the country and all British civil adminis­ announced that, following the Arab-Jewish truce agreement, tration ceased. A few hours before the expiry of the mandate a cease-fire order had been issued the previous day effective an independent Jewish State, under the name of Israel, had for the Old City of Jerusalem only. The Council then went on been proclaimed in Tel Aviv, whilst at midnight on May 14-15 to hear a statement by Mr. John Fletcher-Cooke, of the the armed forces of Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, the Lebanon, Palestine Government, who said that further efforts were in and Iraq invaded Palestine. progress both by the British authorities and by the International Red Cross representative in Jerusalem (M. de Reynier) to The United Nations and Palestine. The special session secure Arab-Jewish agreement to a truce covering the whole of of the U.N. General Assembly convened to consider the Palestine Jerusalem and not merely the Old City. Mr. Fletcher-Cooke situation opened on April 19 and decided to refer the whole presented at the same time a British proposal for the appoint­ question to its Political Committee. ment of a neutral Municipal Commissioner for Jerusalem, to Mr. Austin (U.S.A.) introduced on April 20 the U.S. plan tor a temporary trusteeship (see 9237 A), and in doing so made the following be chosen in agreement with the Jews and Arabs, so as to statement: " The U.S.A. has raised with certain other governments ensure the continuation of municipal services after the end of the question of joint responsibility for the security of a temporary the mandate. Representatives of the Arab Higher Committee trusteeship. These discussions have thus far produced no tangible and the Jewish Agency met the Trusteeship Council the same result. The U.S.A. is willing to undertake its share of responsibility day (May 3) and agreed that the proposed neutral Municipal for the provision of the police forces required during the truce and Commissioner should be appointed by the British High Com­ the temporary trusteeship along with other members who may missioner in Palestine (General Cunningham). be selected by the General Assembly and who are willing to carry out such a task in accordance with the will of the Assembly and the At the Trusteeship Council's meeting on May 3, Mr. Creech Jones provisions of the Charter. While the U.S.A. is prepared to carry its again emphasised the urgency of securing a truce covering all fair share of the United Nations' burden involved in such a temporary Palestine and not only Jerusalem ; asked that the American proposal trusteeship, it is not prepared to act alone in this matter. Our for a temporary trusteeship should be dropped ; proposed instead participation will be conditioned upon the readiness of other Govern­ that the General Assembly should appoint a " neutral continuing ments to provide similar assistance." authority " in the Holy Land to maintain administrative and public The trusteeship proposal, however, found little general support, services after the termination of the mandate ; and expressed the the representatives of Australia, New Zealand, the Soviet Union, opinion that attempts to secure a permanent solution of the Palestine and Sweden (respectively Mr. John Hood, Sir Carl Berendsen, M. problem should be delayed until there was a lull in the fighting. With Gromyko, and Hr. Gunnar Hagglof) all calling on April 22 for the reference to the despatch of British troop reinforcements to Palestine implementation of the partition plan, whilst Dr. Silver, of the Jewish (see below), he declared: " I wish to make it clear that the sole Agency, again declared that the Jews of Palestine had announced purpose is to make it possible for the British authorities in Palestine their " unqualified rejection " of trusteeship and were determined to carry out the mandate until May 15 and to complete the evacuation to proclaim a Jewish State on the termination of the mandate. before Aug. 1. It does not imply any change of policy or modification Mr. Creech Jones (Great Britain), on April 23, emphasised that with in the programme of withdrawal." less than a month to go before the mandate terminated, it was of the On May 5 the Trusteeship Council adopted by 9 votes to highest urgency that the United Nations should do everything nil (France and the Soviet Union abstaining) a report containing possible to obtain a truce in Palestine. After repeating the deter­ " operative conclusions and recommendations " to the General mination of H.M. Government to end the mandate on May 15, he declared : " It has to be decided who will assume central responsi­ Assembly, and thereupon adjourned indefinitely. This report bility in Palestine for maintaining law and order, protecting life ran as follows : and property, taking over the assets, equipment, and stores of the " 1. Following consultations with the Trusteeship Council, the Palestine Administration, collecting revenues, controlling health Arab Higher Committee and the Jewish Agency ordered on May 2 water and other essential services, directing the personnel of public within the walled city of Jerusalem a cease-fire which is now in utilities, and performing a thousand and one other duties essential effect. to a civilised society. Outrages, internal conflicts, the failure of public 2. The Trusteeship Council brings to the notice of the General confidence, and the disappearance of Government staff have already Assembly undertakings given by the Arab Higher Committee and disorganised the administration and social order of the country. Jewish Agency that their communities will respect and safeguard On the withdrawal of the mandatory administration the country is the Holy Places. in danger of being plunged into anarchy and suicidal struggle." 3. The Council has been informed that the Mandatory Power would be willing, if the Assembly agrees, to appoint before May 15 The Assembly's Political Committee, on April 23, agreed a neutral acceptable to both Arabs and Jews as a special Municipal to interrupt the general debate on Palestine in order to con­ Commissioner who shall, with the co-operation of the community centrate on a French proposal, presented by M. Parodi, for committees already existing in Jerusalem, oarry out the funotions the protection of Jerusalem and its inhabitants. On April 26 hitherto performed by the Municipal Commission. The Council it adopted by 44 votes to 3 a resolution, presented jointly recommends to the Assembly that it inform the mandatory Power by France and Sweden, calling on the Trusteeship Council of its full agreement with such a measure. to take immediate action for the protection of Jerusalem in 4. The Council recognises that the measure recommended does not provide adequately for the protection of the city and its in­ consultation with Great Britain, the Jews, and the Arabs habitants. It considers also that urgent attention should be given (the Soviet Union, the Ukraine, and Byelo-Russia opposing to the necessity of providing for the custody of the assets of the on the grounds that such measures should be instituted by Government of Palestine in Jerusalem and for effective maintenance the Assembly and not by the Trusteeship Council), the of law and order in the municipal area pending a final settlement." resolution being approved later the same day by the plenary On May 6 the General Assembly, meeting in plenary session, session of the Assembly by 46 votes to nil (the Soviet group adopted the Trusteeship Council's report and, by 35 votes abstaining). to nil with 17 abstentions, accepted the main recommendation The Trusteeship Council accordingly met on April 27, the of that report, viz., to ask General Cunningham to appoint Soviet representative (M.