An exchange of Israeli and Arab war prisoners was formally proposed today to U.N. Palestine mediator Count Folke Bernadotte by the Israel Government. There are approximately 5,000 Arab PCW’s in Jewish hands while the number of Jews imprisoned by the Arabs is estimated at 850.
It was officially learned today that Count Bernadotte has conveyed the Israeli plan to the Arab Governments, but there has as yet been no reply from them. Israel is prepared to meet Arab representation on the island of Rhodes to work out the necessary details of such an exchange. The proposal was made conditional on a clause in the Geneva convention regarding the conduct of warfare which prohibits the use of exchanged POW’s for military duties.
Ihud, the organization here seeking a bi-national Jewish-Arab state, which is headed by Dr. J.L. Magnes, today issued a statement calling upon the Arab states to accept the Israeli offer for direct peace talks. At the same time, the group called upon the Israeli Government to declare its readiness to discuss the situation of the Arab refugees and of their return to their homes in Palestine. Reuters reported from Cairo that the Arab League rejected the Israeli invitation to open direct peace negotiations.
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