UN Palestine Commission – Establishment of Provisional Council – Communication from the Jewish Agency for Palestine

UNITED NATIONS PALESTINE COMMISSION

COMMUNICATION RECEIVED FROM THE JEWISH AGENCY

FOR PALESTINE CONCERNING ESTABLISHMENT OF PROVISIONAL COUNCIL

The following communication, concerning the establishment and composition of the Provisional Council of Government for the proposed Jewish State, has been received from Mr. Mose Shertok of the Jewish Agency for Palestine.

COPY

THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR PALESTINE

16 East 66th Street
New York 21, N.Y.

March 25, 1948

The Chairman

United Nations Palestine Commission Lake Success, New York

Sir:

In pursuance of the oral representations made by me to the Commission on March 17 on behalf of the Jewish Agency for Palestine and. the National Council of the Jews of Palestine (Vaad Leumi) concerning the appointment of a Provisional Council of Government for the Jewish State, I have the honor now, as a matter of urgency, to reiterate the request that the Provisional Council of the Jewish State should be immediately established and that it be composed as follows:

2. The above list comprises all the Palestinian members of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, as well as the fall membership of the National Council of the Jews of Palestine (Vaad Leumi). Included are representatives of the following parties and groups:

Palestine Labor Party (Mapay)

General Zionists

Mizrachi (Orthodox Zionists)

Hapoel Hamizrachl

Hashomer Hatzair)

now merged.

Achditt Avoda

Aliya Hadasha

Wizo

Yemenites Organization

3. It is proposed further, that the Provisional Council of Government thus designated be empowered in consultation with the United. Nations Commission to co-opt additional members representing groups both Arab and Jewish, not at present included in the membership of the Jewish Agency for Palestine or the Vaad Leumi. Negotiations with this object in view have been successfully concluded with some Jewish groups and are still in progress with others.

4.  Upon the appointment of the Provisional Council of Government it is suggested that the United Nations Palestine Commission should instruct the Provisional Council to proceed with the establishment of a central administrative organ of government as indicated in Article 7 of Part I B of the Resolution of the General Assembly.

5. I venture, in conclusion, to point out that under Article 4 of Part I B of the Resolution of the Assembly, if by 1 April 1948 a Provisional Council of Government has not been set up, the United Nations Palestine Commission will be under the obligation to communicate that fact to the Security Council. It is earnestly hoped that the need for the Commission to report failure in this respect will be obviated by the immediate appointment of the Provisional Council of Government of the Jewish State.

Sincerely yours,

Moshe Shertok

MS:LLM