Jerusalem Truce Plan Accepted by Jews, Arabs, Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle, July 17, 1948.

The Troubled World

Bernadotte Sets Sunday Cease-Fire Deadline;

Jews Agree to Full Armistice

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LAKE SUCCESS, July 16-Jews and Arabs agreed tonight to stop fighting in Jerusalem and the U. N. mediator fixed 10 a. m. EST (8 a. m. PDT) Sunday as the cease-fire deadline for all Palestine.

Israel has agreed to a truce for the Holy Land if the Arabs go along. The Arab League is meeting in Lebanon and may give its decision tomorrow.

Count Folke Bernadotte, U. N. Mediator, leaves by plane tomorrow for Rhodes, his headquarters. In a statement tonight he said he sent messages to both sides notifying them of the 10 a. m. Sunday cease-fire hour.

He also told them that at the start of the truce he would have no peace observers to help him. He asked the Jews and Arabs “to observe scrupulously both the spirit and the letter” of the armistice.

The Swedish count is asking the United States, France and Belgium to supply a total of 300 observers, 125 each from the U. S. and France.

SECURITY COUNCIL

The U. N. Security Council gave the Jews and Arabs 24 hours to accept a cease-fire in Jerusalem and three days for all Palestine or face forceful measures.

In a telegram to Secretary General Trygve Lie, the Israel government said it was ready to accept a general Palestine truce if the Arabs would do likewise. Israel also agreed to an immediate cease-fire in Jerusalem, as did the Arab League.

During the day Bernadotte-

1-Sent formal letters to the United States, France and Belgium, as members of the consular truce commission in Palestine-asking them to provide military observers, ships, planes, cars and other equipment as they did during the recent four-week truce.

2-Discussed with top secretariat officials plans for recruiting an international police force for Jerusalem. This force is expected to be raised from volunteers, largely from the United States, France and Belgium.

LEBANON REACTION

Informed quarters said Bernadotte was leaving the way open for obtaining military observers and volunteer police from additional countries at a later date, if it was found advisable. He was criticized severely by Russia yesterday for loading his staff with Americans and excluding Russians.

In Beirut, Lebanon, the press condemned the Security Council cease-fire order for Jerusalem as “unjust” and crowds demonstrated against British and American “pro-Jewish” action.