UN Palestine Commission – Municipal police units in Palestine – Communication from the Jewish Agency for Palestine

UNITED NATIONS PALESTINE COMMISSION

COMMUNICATION RECEIVED FROM THE JEWISH AGENCY

FOR PALESTINE CONCERNING MUNICIPAL POLICE UNITS

IN PALESTINE

The following communication, concerning the arming of Arab and Jewish Municipal Police Units in Palestine, has been received from the Jewish Agency for Palestine.

COPY/ks

THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR PALESTINE
16 East 66th St.,

New York 21,

February 20, 1948

Dr. Ralph J. Bunche
Principal Secretary
United Rations Palestine Commission

United Rations

Lake Success, New York.

Dear Dr. Bunche:

We understand that while the Palestine Government does not propose to permit the formation of a militia for the Jewish State under the terms of the Resolution of the General Assembly it does contemplate expanding the existing Municipal police forces. Such local units have thus far been established at Jaffa and in certain other localities. The only new Municipal unit established in a Jewish locality was in Tel-Aviv; but while the Arab units were provided with Government rifles no such provision was made in the case of Tel-Aviv.

As a result the net effect of the establishment of Municipal police units has been the arming of Arabs by the Palestine Government. In this manner instead of facilitating the implementation of the General Assembly’s Resolution the Government is in fact reinforcing the military formations of that element of the population whose open and avowed object it is to defeat by violence the authority of the United Nations.

We note from the report of the Palestine Commission to the Security Council that the Commission is aware that these Arab Municipal forces may well use their arms in opposition to the purpose of the United Rations’ Resolution. The Jewish Agency fully shares this apprehension.

We, accordingly, take the liberty of calling the attention of the Commission to the danger inherent in this policy and particularly with reference to possible developments on the termination of the Mandate on the 15th of May, 1948.

Faithfully yours,

Aubrey S. Eban

(Signed)

D. Horowitz