Arab Plan for Jerusalem, Associated Press, Providence Sunday Journal, Aug. 15, 1948.

Jews Threaten to Drive Invading Armies Out If U.N. Fails to Act

Ben-Gurion Warns Israel Will Move Against Arab Forces Unless World Body Compels Their Withdrawal; Egypt Rejects Direct Talks

“It is impossible for us to continue with a never ending truce, a situation which is not war and not peace. The United Nations must expel the invading armies from Palestine or we will do it by means of war.” – David Ben-Gurion

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Tel Aviv, Israel, Aug. 14.-(AP)-Israel threatened today to drive the invading Arab armies out of all Palestine “by means of war” unless the United Nations compels their withdrawal.

David Ben-Gurion, prime minister of Israel, told a council of the Labor Party (Mapai) that the Jews must be prepared for “a renewal of war activities.”

“If the United Nations is unable to implement its own decisions and compel the Arab states to withdraw their invading armies not only from Israel but from the whole Palestine territory, then the Jews will have to do so themselves,” he said.

“The presence of foreign armies in Palestine threatens Israel’s existence and is furthermore a spectacular breach of international law.”

Ben-Gurion said it is “impossible for us to continue with a never ending truce, a situation which is not war and not peace. The United Nations must expel the invading armies from Palestine or we will do it by means of war.”

He declared that his country’s foreign policy is based on United Nations policy “without leaning eastward or westwards.”

(Count Folke Bernadotte, the U.N. mediator, said in Stockholm that Egypt had rejected Israel’s proposal for direct Palestine peace talks between Jews and Arabs.

(Egypt informed the mediator it could not accept pretensions of the Israel government that it could discuss the future “of any part of Palestine.”

(Headquarters of the mediator in Rhodes said a report Israel had refused a cease fire order in Jerusalem had been transmitted erroneously from Haifa, and that the request was still under discussion.

(Bernadotte said yesterday the Jews had-rejected the request while the Arabs had agreed. However Bernadotte said today he had been informed by his Rhodes headquarters that the Jewish commander in Jerusalem was going to Tel Aviv to discuss the cease fire order with Jewish leaders.)

Water Being Supplied

The Israeli government said water is being supplied to Jerusalem over a secondary pipeline laid during construction of the emergency road that bypasses Arab-held Latrun on the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway.

The government said the pipeline can supply the city with only a limited quantity of water. Saboteurs blasted the Latrun pumping station on the main pipeline Thursday night, destroying U.N. hopes to deliver water to the city after months of war-interrupted service.

The Israeli Army is starting to build a second road to Jerusalem which will run parallel to the emergency highway. It will be paved to avoid next winter’s mud.

Arab Plan for Jerusalem

Amman, Trans-Jordan, Aug. 14.-(AP)-An Arab plan for Jerusalem’s demilitarization calling on the United Nations to guard the frontier between Arab and Jewish policed areas was made known here tonight.

It was understood that the plan was submitted to Count Folke Bernadotte last Tuesday by an Arab League official.

The main points of the Arab plan included-

“Arab and Jewish police, in equal numbers, equally armed with normal police weapons, will police the two areas. A United Nations guard will keep the frontier between the two areas’ ‘boundaries’ for security reasons, and the inclusion of important holy places must include Bethany , Bethlehern, Beit Jala, Lifta, Shafta and Isarya.

“Arabs and Jews must be allowed to regain possession of their houses … however, a frontier line must be drawn eliminating pockets and exchanging some territory, temporarily at least.

“Visits to Jewish holy places to be allowed at fixed times and in fixed numbers under United Nations escort.

“Return of looted movable property or compensation for it.

Survey of Property

“A survey of Arab property in Jewish hands must be made as soon as possible with a view toward preventing its willful damage by Jews.

“The owners of non-Arab and non-Jewish buildings and property must opt (decide) as to the area whereto they want them to belong.

“Ex-government-owned buildings to be kept temporarily by the United Nations.

“Under the demilitarization the Arabs will run their own area, the Jews will run their own area and the United Nations will run common things like electric current, water supply, telephones and sewage.

“It is understood that non-military essential supplies will at all times be allowed to the Jews under a mixed control composed of the United Nations, Arabs and Jews.

“The settlement under the demilitarization is temporary … without prejudice to the final settlement of the future of Jerusalem which must depend on the final settlement of the Palestine question as a whole.”