Battle in Jerusalem – Cablegram from Chairman SecCo Truce Commission

CABLEGRAM DATED 19 MAY 1948 FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE

SECURITY COUNCIL TRUCE COMMISSION ADDRESSED TO THE

PRESIDENT OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL TRUCE COMMISSION INSTRUCTS ME TO TRANSMIT TO YOU THE FOLLOWING COMMUNICATION:

FURTHER TO THE INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED IN YOUR TELEGRAM I WENT TO SEE KING ABDULLAH MONDAY MORNING AT AMMAN STOP MR AZCARATE ACCOMPANIED ME STOP  I EMPHASIZED TO THE KING THE ANXIETY CAUSED TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL BY THE ADVANCE OF HIS TROOPS IN PALESTINE STOP  THE KING REPLIED WITH A FIERCE TIRADE AGAINST THE JEWS WITHOUT GIVING ANY GUARANTEE TO CEASE MILITARY OPERATIONS STOP  WITH REGARD TO THE WHOLE OF PALESTINE WE CONSIDER IT IMPOSSIBLE TO PREVENT THE COMPLETE OCCUPATION OF THE ARAB ZONE BY THE ARAB STATES STOP  THE ONLY PRACTICAL MEANS OF PREVENTING OR LIMITING ATTACKS FROM THE JEWISH ZONE WOULD BE STRONG DIPLOMATIC OR MILITARY PRESSURE ON THE ARAB STATES STOP  WITH REGARD TO JERUSALEM THE KING STATED HE WAS PREPARED TO REFRAIN FROM INTERVENTION IF THE JEWS CEASE ALL ATTACKS AGAINST THE ARABS STOP  UNLESS VERY STRONG DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE IS EXERCISED OR MILITARY ACTION IS TAKEN AS SUGGESTED IN MY TELEGRAM OF THE SEVENTEENTH I CONSIDER THE PARTICIPATION OF THE ARAB LEGION IN THE BATTLE OF JERUSALEM ABSOLUTELY INEVITABLE STOP  ON RETURNING FROM AMMAN WE WENT INTO THE OLD CITY TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH ARAB MILITARY AND POLITICAL LEADERS STOP  WE SPENT THE NIGHT THERE RETURNING HERE YESTERDAY EVENING STOP  THE JEWS IN THE OLD CITY WERE BESIEGED IN THE GREAT SYNAGOGUE STOP  DURING THE NIGHT BETWEEN SUNDAY AND MONDAY NEGOTIATIONS FOR SURRENDER WERE HELD WITHOUT ANY RESULT BY VARIOUS RELIGIOUS DIGNITARIES STOP  ON ENTERING THE OLD CITY I OFFERED MY GOOD OFFICES TO ENTER INTO CONTACT WITH THE JEWISH AGENCY IN ORDER TO DISCOVER ITS INTENTIONS REGARDING THE SURRENDER OF THE JEWS BESIEGED IN THE SYNAGOGUE STOP  I REACHED FULL AGREEMENT WITH THE LOCAL ARAB MILITARY AND POLITICAL LEADERS BUT THE JEWISH AGENCY GAVE ME A NEGATIVE REPLY FORMALLY REJECTING THE CONDITIONS OFFERED BY THE ARABS STOP  DURING OUR JOURNEY TO AMMAN AND EVEN IN THE OLD CITY WE WERE TOLD THAT THE JEWS WOULD ONLY SURRENDER TO THE ARAB LEGION AS IT WAS A REGULAR ARMY FROM WHICH THEY MIGHT EXPECT RESPECT FOR GENEVA CONVENTIONS ON PRISONERS OF WAR STOP  PERHAPS THIS WAS THE PRETEXT FOR THE ARABS INDUCING THE LEGION TO ENTER THE OLD CITY YESTERDAY AFTERNOON STOP  BEFORE LEAVING THE OLD CITY I ASKED THE JEWISH AGENCY WHETHER THERE WAS ANY TRUTH IN THESE RUMORS AND ONCE AGAIN I WAS MET BY A NEGATIVE ANSWER THE JEWISH AGENCY AFFIRMING THAT THE JEWISH MILITARY SITUATION HAD GREATLY IMPROVED IN THE LAST FEW HOURS STOP  A BITTER BATTLE IS BEING WAGED INSIDE THE OLD CITY THE ARABS ARE CONTINUING THEIR ATTACKS ON THE JEWS SHELTERING IN THE SYNAGOGUE WHOM REINFORCEMENTS FROM THE ALMOST ENTIRELY JEWISH-CONTROLLED NEW CITY ARE ENDEAVOURING TO REACH STOP  WE HAVE HEARD THAT AS MANY AS 300 COMBATANTS AND 200 NON COMBATANTS ARE BESIEGED IN THE SYNAGOGUE STOP  THE SITUATION OF THE JEWS IN THE REST OF THE CITY WHO ARE DEPRIVED OF WATER ELECTRICITY AND PROVISIONS IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND PRECARIOUS STOP  IN THE COURSE OF OUR INTERVIEW WITH KING ABDULLAH MR AZCARATE TEMPORARY MUNICIPAL COMMISSIONER RAISED THE QUESTION OF WATER WHICH IS BROUGHT FROM SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE CITY FROM SPRINGS IN ARAB CONTROL BUT MET WITH CATEGORICAL REFUSAL STOP  THE MILITARY SITUATION IN JERUSALEM IS FLUCTUATING SO THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO MAKE PREDICTIONS STOP  WE ONLY KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE MILITARY SITUATION IN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY FEW SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON THIS SUBJECT BEING AVAILABLE IN JERUSALEM STOP  I SUMMARISED THE SITUATION AS FOLLOWS:  THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE BLOOD-SHED WOULD BE TO BRING STRONG PRESSURE TO BEAR ON ALL THE PARTIES CONCERNED.

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