"Great Political And Military Victory"

Chronicle (Levin), 8 January 1949, Page 5

"Great Political And Military Victory"

(N.ZJ.A.-

-Reuten i

Covyright)

Received Friday, 7 p.m. LONDON, January 7. Xsraelj.Iias accepted Bgypt's request for a ceasefire in tlie Negev. Tlie Times' Tel Aviv correspondent says it is stated tliat if the Israeli Goyernment ordered a c6asefire Egypt would agree to negotiate on the carrying out of the Seeurity Council 's recent resolutions on Palestiiie. ' v _ The correspondent says the Egyptian request was received with considerable surprise in Tel Aviv and is regarded as evidenee of a great political as well as a military victory for I$raei. For the first time an Arab. country has expressed willingness to _ sit at' a conferenee tahle with Israel's representatives and there is jubilation in Jewish circles that the initiative was supplied by Egypt. ^ The correspondent says the resounding defeat in the Negev is obviously the reason for Egypt 's sudden, willingness not only to call a halt to the fighting but to discuss conditions for an armistice and possibly arrangements for ,an eventual peace conferenee. This is not pei'haps a happy background for discussion, and the Israeli .Government will be prepared to mahe only a token withdrawal of troops from the Negev. However, for- tlie first time in many weeks the United Nations mission in Palestiiie is unofficially showing some optimism. ' United Nations officials at Haifa reported that the leaders of tlie Egyptian garrison encireled in the Faluja pocket indicateel thev were willing to surrender after an 80-day siege. A request for a eoni'erence to arrange the surrender terms has been made to the United Nations representative at Gaza. An Iraiji eoinmunique issued at Baghdad says Iraqi artillery and rnachinegun fire inflicted heavy easualties on the Israeli forces in renewed fighting in the Qalqilya seetor of the Iraqi-Palestine front.