UN Palestine Commission – Daily News Summary

UNITED NATIONS PALESTINE COMMISSION

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY

24 March 1948

Jerusalem, 23 North – In a joint resolution issued in Tel Aviv, the Executives of the Jewish Agency and Vaad Leumi categorically rejected Trusteeship “even for a short time, and declared that on May 16 “a Provisional Jewish Government will commence to function in co-operation with the representatives of the United Nations then in Palestine.”

The declaration coincided with a violent outbreak in the Yemin Moshe Section of Jerusalem where Arabs blew up 30 to 40 houses, injuring 10 or 15 Jews. In addition, the police reported 9 Arabs killed and 24 wounded throughout the country. Some 600 British troops occupied the Arab villages of Artuf Ishwa and Beir Mahsir in the Judean foothills following yesterday’s large-scale Arab attack on the Jewish Colony of Har Tuv.

The British Administration announced that “shortly after April 18” the Palestine Post Office would discontinue delivery of incoming letters and printed matter addressed via the surface route. Outgoing surface mail and incoming and outgoing airmail, telegraph, radio and telephone service will continue until further notice. (N.Y. TIMES)

London, 23 March – Foreign Secretary Bevin and Colonial Secretary Creech-Jones reiterated today that the British Government was “absolutely adamant” in its intention to abandon the Palestine Mandate, regardless of the United States’ repudiation of the partition plan and regardless of whatever new program the United Nations might evolve.

Mr. Bevin declared that “The Government has stated all the way through that it will support anything that can be agreed between the Arabs and Jews, but we won't take part in enforcing anything – trusteeship or anything else – on one or the other.”

There was some criticism of the Government’s position but little or no opposition to the decision to get out of Palestine. In fact, it would be impossible for the Government to reverse itself, or even to delay its schedule, without encountering obvious political troubles. (N.Y. TIMES, N.Y. HERALD TRIBUNE)