Azcarate Reported Appointed Commissioner for Jerusalem; Opposes Internationalization

Pablo Azcarate, member of the United Nations staff in Palestine, has been appointed special U.N. representative at Jerusalem, replacing Dr. Alberto Fernandez Gonzales, who resigned last week, it was reported here today by a Foreign Ministry spokesman.

(Official circles at Lake Success denied the report that Mr. Azcarate was appointed to the post. Israel sources at Lake Success indicated that they have not been informed of any such appointment. “I believe Mr. Azcarate is holding the fort until a new representative is appointed,” a spokesman for the Israel delegation at the U.N. said.)

Mr. Azcarate and Brig. Gen. William E. Riley, U.N. Chief of Staff, left by plane yesterday for Lake Success. It was learned that they will submit to Secretary-General Trygve Lie a full report on the situation in Jerusalem. They will give particular stress, it is understood, to the proposal of the U.N. Conciliation Commission for Palestine for internationalizing Jerusalem, which they will say cannot in their opinion be put into effect. They will recommend that the Commission’s internationalization plan should not be accepted by the United Nations, it is stated.

A clear Israel Government policy on Jerusalem was demanded in a manifesto to the Foreign Ministry which was made public today by its sponsor, the General Zionist Party. The General Zionists warned the Foreign Ministry against vagueness on this subject and emphasized that no Israel. Jew would tolerate the detachment of Jerusalem from the Jewish state.

Large “peace day” rallies in the principal cities and towns of Israel were held by some members of Mapam and by the Communists. The meeting in Tel Aviv was addressed by Dr. Moshe Sneh, Col. Itzhak Sadeh, Meir Yaari and two Arabs. Dr. Sneh said that the forces which were endangering the peace of the Middle East were those desiring to cut Israel territory and to internationalize the Jerusalem area.

The first meeting of municipal officials of the Israel-held part of Jerusalem and the Arab-held Old City took place here for the purpose of organizing a joint campaign on malaria. At a special session, arranged by the United Nations, the head of Jewish Jerusalem’s Sanitary Department met the sanitary engineer of Old Jerusalem, and complete agreement was reached on the action to be taken on both sides of the line dividing the city.