Arabs Demand 2-3 of Israel, The Daily Compass, Aug. 31, 1949.

By Jon Kimche

Exclusive to The Daily Compass

Lausanne, Aug. 30 (ONA)–The Arabs today presented demands to the U.S. Conciliation Commission for Palestine which would slash away two-thirds of the territory allocated to Israel by the United Nations.

This is only one of the demands made by Israel’s Middle East neighbors. Egypt has already said she will not make peace with the Tel Aviv government while the two countries have a common frontier–Cairo wants a “Zone of Security” set up in Southern Palestine.

The territorial demands appear like this-

1 The U.N. partition plan allotted Israel 9,190 square miles.

2. Israel at present occupies about 10,625 square miles.

3. Arab territorial demands include up to 7,500 square miles of the presently occupied area.

Ask All of Negev

The Arabs demand Eastern Galilee as well as Western Galilee, the whole of the Negev, the Israel-occupied corridor to Jerusalem, the internationalization of Jerusalem and Jaffa and an international corridor through Israel to link with the Arab part of Palestine.

Egypt’s insistence on a “security zone” has turned attention anew to the fact that the whole Middle East is rearming. And there is a new fear in Tel Aviv because the government suspects a private bargain between the United States and Egypt to Israel’s detriment.

Many observers here think there is a deal on between Cairo and Washington. They say it appears clear that Egypt’s insistence is based on American assurances of support for such a zone in Southern Palestine.

Perhaps as a result of that fear, the question of national defense has once again superseded economic problems as the number one headache in Israel.

In Arab Palestine a “national defense movement” has been started, a kind of auxiliary force for the Arab Legion, with recruiting underway. Amman announces that Arab frontier villages will also be fortified. It says 21 villages north of Jerusalem have already been fortified, plus another 30 in the south between Jerusalem and Hebron. Arms and ammunition will be distributed to volunteers after training.

British Send Arms

The arms embargo has been lifted. The British have again started deliveries on contracts with Egypt, Iraq and Transjordan, which is now trying to persuade the British government to increase its $3,500,000,000 annual subsidy to meet the higher cost of keeping an army.

Transjordan would like to double its present force of 9000 and it wants up-to-date armor and planes.

Although the Conciliation Commission here found some difficulty in treating most of the Arab territorial demands as serious proposals, members expressed the fear that once again, as a result, Arab public opinion may be led to expect far more than it could legitimately or reasonably hope for.

Commission members feel they still have before them a long and painful task in reconciling Arab and Israel views on the Jewish nation’s frontiers.

Reuven Shiloah, head of the Israel delegation, returned to Lausanne today with the Israel reply to the Commission’s questionnaire on frontiers and refugees. This will be turned over Thursday.