UN Palestine Commission – International police force for Jerusalem – Communications received Secretariat Advance Party

UNITED NATIONS PALESTINE COMMISSION

Communication Received from Advance Party

Concerning Conversation with Military Liaison Officer

of the Jewish Agency, Major Hertzog, on 31 March 1948

The attached memorandum by Col. Roscher Lund was received in Air Pouch number 4 and 5 on 12 April 1948.

PALESTINE COMMISSION ADVANCE PARTY

2 April 1948

CONVERSATION WITH THE MILITARY LIAISON OFFICE OF THE
JEWISH AGENCY, MAJOR HERTZOG, on

31 MARCH 1948

(Memorandum by Col. Roscher Lund)

Major Hertzog mentioned the possibility of the Commission forming a nucleus of an international police force in Jerusalem as soon as possible. His idea was to find a suitable officer from among the British police, and, under his leadership, recruit police personnel willing to stay and suitable for the work. He thought personnel should be recruited not only within the City of Jerusalem, but also in the rest of Palestine; however, all personnel recruited should be assembled in Jerusalem. He thought this force would be able to maintain a certain area within Jerusalem, anyhow for a limited time, until more settled conditions obtain.

The main advantage in the scheme would be to keep in Palestine a nucleus of a future police force with knowledge of the country and the Arab and Hebrew languages, and personal contacts with the population and the Arab and Jewish police personnel. This would aid the building up of a future police force in Jerusalem, and eventually, in other parts of Palestine, to a large extent.

I asked him whether he had any particular police officer in mind as Chief of such a force, He said he had not, but mentioned the Chief of Police in Jaffa-Tel Aviv as a very suitable man. As Chief of Police in both these cities, he is regarded with confidence by both Arabs and Jews, but Major Hertzog did not know whether he was willing to undertake such a task.

This is not the first time a similar subject has been mentioned to me by Major Hertzog. He hinted some time ago that the Jewish Agency (or Hagana) had considered employing a number of British police specialists for training Jewish police for the Jewish State. The scheme, however, had been abandoned for political reasons.

It is interesting to receive this proposal from the Jewish side which, until recently, objected to British being employed in the future U.N. administration. At this stage, the proposal can hardly be regarded as the official opinion of the Jewish Agency, but it was obviously not a coincidence in view of the conversation that took place at the same time between Mr. Azcarate and Mrs. Eytan.