An intensive exchange of artillery fire between Israeli and Arab Legion forces in various sectors of the Jerusalem front continued today with but a short break during a half-hour air alert. A lone plane circled the city, but dropped no bombs.
During the past 48 hours the Arabs not only loosed mortar and machinegun fire against the Israeli positions, but also attacked them with “barrel bombs.” Friday, the Arab Legion again broke the truce by refusing to permit a Jewish food convoy to proceed up Nt. Scopus.
The press today reported that John Glubb Pasha, British commander of the Arab Legion, and two British and one Iraqi staff officers visited the Old City, Bethlehem and Hebron yesterday, inspecting the Legion’s lines and addressing the Arab population. At a meeting in Hebron where local Arab leaders and those from villages in the surrounding areas assembled, Glubb Pesha rebuked the residents for their “defeatism,” and ridiculed the possibilities of an Israeli breakthrough in this sector.
He told the meeting that Abdullah had sent him to explain to the Palestine Arabs that their towns were as precious to him as Amman and that everything possible would be done to protect them. Glubb then said that Britain still continues to guard against Palestine falling “into Zionist hands.” Afterwards, he visited a former British army camp in the Old City and told another Arab audience the same thing, adding a short talk on the significance of Armistice Day.
Other Hebrew press reports stated that the Arab Legion was desecrating the Mount of Olives, removing tombstones for roadblocks and for repairing private homes. Frequent complaints by the Jewish authorities to the U.N. staff have brought promises to “do something,” but no action has been taken.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
