Shipment of military equipment – Letter/Cablegram from Israel

LETTER DATED 18 MAY 1948 FROM THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR PALESTINE

ADDRESSED TO THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AND ENCLOSED CABLEGRAM

FROM THE FOREIGN SECRETARY OF ISRAEL

Sir:

I have the honor to submit for your information and that of members of the Security Council a copy of a telegram received in the New York office of the Jewish Agency for Palestine from Mr. Moshe Shertok, Foreign Secretary of Israel.

I am, Sir,

TELEGRAM RECEIVED FROM MR. MOSHE SHERTOK,

FOREIGN SECRETARY OF ISRAEL

TEL AVIV – 17 MAY 1948

FROM DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE RECEIVED BY US IT APPEARS THAT ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE BY BRITISH AUTHORITIES TO SHIP A CONSIDERABLE QUANTITY OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO THE ARAB LEGION, TIMED SO AS TO REACH TRANSJORDAN ON MAY 14TH AND MAY 15TH COINCIDENT WITH TERMINATION OF THE MANDATE.  TRANSPORTED ON THREE VESSELS FROM SUEZ TO AKABA, THE SHIPMENT COMPRISES PETROL, 48 OERLIKON GUNS AND AMMUNITION, AND 255 TONS OF OTHER AMMUNITION, AND WAS CARRIED OUT WITH FULL KNOWLEDGE BY BRITISH INTELLIGENCE OF THE ACTIVITIES AND INTENTIONS OF THE ARAB LEGION.

—–