Israel to Defy Bernadotte’s Ban on Entry of Fighting-Age Men, Herald Tribune, Aug. 26, 1948.

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By Kenneth Bilby By Wireless to the Herald Tribune Copyright, 1948, New York Herald Tribume Inc.

TEL AVIV, Aug. 25.-Faced with an order to halt the immigration of Jewish men of fighting age by Sept. 2. the government of Israel will inform Count Folke Bernadotte that it will not accept suspension or limitation on arrival of any category of immigrants, it was established today.

Government sources predicted bluntly that the first major clash between Jews and the United Nations mediator would be fought out before the Security Council as a result of Count Bernadotte’s decision to cut off the flow of military age males to Israel.

The mediator’s order, reportedly prompted by his conviction that the Jews were obtaining a military advantage, gave Dr. Paul Mohn, his representative here, authority to set the hour when the flow would halt. Dr. Mohn decided upon 8 p. m. next Wednesday.

Israel to Appeal

Official indignation at the mediator’s order is boundless. The Israeli answer will appeal to Count Bernadotte, a government source said, to “think again before he commits this grave error.”

On the question of whether Israel has obtained military advantage through the arrival of 3,000 fighting-age males since the truce started, the Jewish answer will be that the mediator has placed no curb upon the entrance of Arab fighting men into Palestine.

Moshe Shertok, Israel Foreign Minister, sought to quell speculation, which has gone wild here, about Arab-Jewish contents. He denied reports that he had announced peace talks were proceeding in a foreign capital.

Mr. Shertok also denied that peace talks or negotiations in a formal sense were under way at present. He did not deny the report that preliminary contact had been made. Queried on this at a press conference, Moshe Pearlman. Foreign Ministry press officer, said he was unable to comment.

Trans-Jordan an Exception

It was noted with much interest here that all Arab government radios except one officially denied the peace talks with the Jews. That exception was the Ramallah radio, which broadcasts pronouncements of King Abdullah’s Trans-Jordan government. The station merely quoted New York radio sources as saying peace negotiations were under way.

The Truce Commission charged the Jews with violating the truce on the night of Aug. 16-17 when, according to a cable dispatch from Dr. Mohn to the Security Council, Israeli forces in Jerusalem occupied the Agricultural School and Arab College, near Government House. Mr. Peariman, speaking for the Jews, charged that armed Arabs moved freely around Government House with the knowledge of Red Cross representatives there.

After two quiet nights, hostilities flared up again at Jerusalem. An Israeli Army communique alleged the Arabs had hurled grenades at Israeli forces on Mount Zion, while the Egyptians attempted an infantry attack in northern Talpiot. The Jews said they “returned the fire and silenced Arab positions” from which mortar shells had been fired at residential sections.

Bernadotte Silent on Order

STOCKHOLM, Aug. 25 (AP).-Count Folke Bernadotte declined comment today on published reports he has halted all immigration of men of military age into Israel.