UN Palestine Commission – Jewish Agency Building Explosion – Letter from United Kingdom

12 March 1948

UNITED NATIONS PALESTINE COMMISSION

Communication Received, from United Kingdom

Delegation concerning Explosion of Jewish

Agency July 8 Jerusalem.

The following communication, concerning the explosion at the Jewish Agency Building in Jerusalem on 11 March, has been received from Mr. Fletcher-Cooke of the United Kingdom Delegation.

COPY/ks

UNITED KINGDOM DELEGATION TO THE UNITED NATIONS

Empire State Building

New York 1, N.Y.

12th March 1948

My dear Bunche,

I enclose for the information of this Commission a brief note giving such facts as are available here about the recent explosion at the Jewish Agency Building in Jerusalem.

Yours sincerely,

J. Fletcher-Cooke (signed)

Dr Ralph J. Bunche,

Principal Secretary to the United Nations

Commission on Palestine,

United Nations, Lake Success.

NOTE

EXPLOSION AT JEWISH BUILDING IN JERUSALEM 11th MARCH, 1948

1. At approximately 0943 hours on the morning of 11th March, an explosion followed by a conflagration occurred in that part of the Jewish Agency Building in Jerusalem which is occupied by KEREN HAYESOD.

2. Reports of the Jewish press suggested at first that explosives were introduced into the building through or over the wire of the Security Zone B which lies immediately South of the Agency Building and which at that point is occupied by Royal Air Force and Army details.

3. It now appears, however, that the explosives were introduced into the courtyard of the building in a saloon car flying a United States flag. It is reported that the car, after being checked into the courtyard, disembarked two men who carried parcels into the buildings.

4. It has been established that a Consular station wagon was stolen from the United States Consulate last Saturday and that another United States Consular car on which there was United States flag failed to return from an errand on the morning of the 11th March.

5. Investigation and collection of information by the authorities have been much hampered and even Jewish members of the Police have been denied facilities for investigation.

6. The first tentative figure of casualties reported here was eight dead and thirty to forty injured.