STEP FORWARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26640, 10 December 1947, Page 5

STEP FORWARD

EVENTS IN PALESTINE JEWS TO CONTROL TEL-AVIV BRITISH AND ARAB POLICE WITHDRAW N.Z.P.A.—Keuter—Copyright. Rec. 9 p.m. LONDON, Dec. 9. Events took a step forward in Palestine yesterday when the Government announced that from next Monday British and Arab police in the Tel Aviv’ area, but excluding Jaffa, would be withdrawn and only Jewish police and the Jewish Home Guard would operate there. The Times Jerusalem correspondent explains that this Jewish Home Guard is separate from the I-laganah and is being recruited by the Jewish Agency in a general drive in which it is intended to enrol 8000 men and women between the ages of 17 and 25 for all purposes. Small groups will be used for full-time security and for the basic services, and others for manual work in settlements and towns presumably to free men and women already trained in defence there. The Government's purpose as stated in the official announcement is to make more British and Arab police available for mixed areas, such as Jesusalem and Haifa, and to “take advantage of the Jewish authorities’ offer to assist in the maintenance of law and order with the Jewish community.” In the Jewish part of Jaffa there will be British and Jewish police and in the Arab part British and Arab police. Undoubtedly, the Times correspondent adds, that a heavy burden will fall on the British police where the Jewish and Arab parts meet, but the Government is trying to prevent as far as possible any form of provocation and has told the Jewish Agency that it cannot countenance an armed Haganah being recognised and having full control of any part of Palestine. The correspondent says the question of whether Tel-Aviv is to be evacuated and the British civil services withdrawn before the mandate ends is to be considered by Cabinet in London this week, and the possibility cannot be ruled out, as UNO seemed to favour it. The mandate over the whole country will otherwise be laid down simultaneously, possibly in May, which is the date now widely named.

In the meantime, the military are slowly moving towards their exodus points in north and south Palestine, but while the mandate continues no military move can be made that would prevent the civil administration from continuing anywhere. Red flares soared over Tel-Aviv tonight calling the Haganah defence troops to arms against Arabs reported infiltrating into the Jewish city, says Reuter’s Jerusalem correspondent. The glare from burning houses also lit up the sky. After a number of alarming reports came in about fighting in the Batikvah area, on the outskirts of TelAviv, a Haganah official said the incident had been exaggerated. The Arabs had attacked but retreated when the Haganah forces attacked them with grenades. Meanwhile, however, Irgun Zvai Leumi members had poured into TelAviv in lorries and motor cycles and had caused a panic among the population. Correspondents reported earlier that, according to the Haganah, Arabs had penetrated the defences of Hatikvah and women and children were leaving hastily in lorries used to bring up reinforcements for the Jews. It is officially announced from Jerusalem that one British soldier was killed and two wounded when Arabs attacked a British military, convoy escorting Jews between an outlying camp and Tel-Aviv. Arabs and British fought a 30-minute gun battle-. One Jew was killed and another seriously wounded when Arabs manning an illegal road block near Haifa fired on their motor car.

What is happening now in Palestine was nothing, “ only bubbles preceding the typhoon,” said Azzam Pasha, secretary of the Arab League, after a league meeting in Cairo, according to the British United Press correspondent.

Azzam Pasha added that fighters from Morocco to Afghanistan would join in the Palestine battle.

A high official of the Arab League said the Arab States had informed Britain that they intended sending armed forces into Palestine as soon as the British withdrawal was completed. The official added that the first Arab volunteers would enter Palestine as soon as possible, and Egyptians would follow the Arabs from Syria, the Lebanon and Iraq.