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U.N. Secretariat Submits Plan on Palestine Militia to Implementation Commission

January 18, 1948
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A plan for an armed militia under United Nations control was today submitted by the U.N. Secretariat to the Implementation Commission which continued the drafting of a series of questions on Palestine to be put ? the British Government.

It was not clear whether by militia, the secretariat means an internal police race, or merely a group to guarantee the frontiers. Accompanying the blueprint was report on the strength of the present forces in Palestine – British, Arab and Jewish, including Haganah, Irgun and the Stern group.

The questions for Britain drafted today by the Commission aim at clarifying utters concerning security, immigration and the discharge by the Commission of its administrative responsibilities upon reaching Palestine. One of the questions seeks ? ascertain the date when the Commission will be allowed by the British to come to Palestine.

The British delegation here tonight released figures concerning casualties in Palestine since the partition decision was taken by the General Assembly. The data, covering the period from Nov. 30 to Jan. 10, shows 123 Britons killed and wounded; 769 ?ws killed and wounded; 1069 Arabs killed and wounded; and 23 others.

The Trusteeship Council’s working group on Jerusalem today heardfrom representatives of Palestine Jewry. The spokesman – Moshe Shertok, Daniel Auster, former Mayor of Jerusalem, and Dr. Mordecai Eliash, legal advisor of the Jewish National council – stressed the importance of naming a U,N. governor as soon as possible, so ?at municipal government would continue to function after the British withdraw. ?ong the other subjects discussed was the question of autonomy for the settlements ? towns in the Jerusalem area and religious courts in Jerusalem.

They stressed the danger inherent for Jews in the proposed prohibition on the ?istence of”paramilitary11 organizations inside the city and also the necessity of securing the lines of communication and power into Jerusalem, which gets its food, light and power from outside the city limits. The Jewish representatives will continue their testimony when the group resumes meeting on Monday at 2 P.M. Later in ?e week, spokesmen for the Agudas Israel and the Greek Orthodox Church will be heard.

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