Palestine question – Arab and Jews reject Mediator’s Palestine report – Press release

UNITED NATIONS

Department of Public Information

Press and Publications Bureau

Lake Success, New York

Press Release PAL/328

7 October 1948

ARABS, JEWS REJECT MEDIATOR'S REPORT ON PALESTINE

Both the six Arab states and the Israeli Provisional Government have issued separate statements rejecting Count Bernadotte's report on Palestine.

The Arabs repeat their contention that the only solution for the problem is a single sovereign state in which Arabs and Jews live together.

The Israeli Government condemns the report specifically because of Count Bernadotte's proposal that the Negev — desert area in the south — should be given to the Arabs.

Count Bernadotte's report on the first four weeks' truce in Palestine has just been published.

It gives details of the work done by the United Nations team of observers in Palestine and in the Arab states.

Altogether, Count Bernadotte's team dealt with some 500 complaints; but only three violations of the truce were serious enough to be reported to the Security Council.

The success of United Nations' mediation was indicated by the fact that there was no major fighting in Palestine throughout the whole period of the truce.

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