The Israeli Government will make a strong demand for the incorporation within the Jewish state of the city of Jerusalem as well as a corridor linking it with Israel, Dr. Bernard Joseph, Israeli military governor, today told the municipal advisory council.
He revealed that, following the recent visit of acting mediator Ralph Bunche to the city, the consular truce commission opened negotiations with him for the demilitarization of Jerusalem. Dr. Joseph said he refused to negotiate “in a vacuum”–without some basis of concrete proposals. The Jews, he stressed, would welcome the opportunity to negotiate clear-cut proposals. The Israeli proposal was that the Arab Legion be withdrawn to Trans Jordan and the Egyptian army to Egypt as one of the phases of demilitarization of the city.
Reporting on the demilitarization situation on Mt, Scopus where Jewish guards functioning as at U.N. protective force have teen isolated by Arab Legionnaires, Dr. Joseph said it was a complete failure, pointing out that the Arabs have not permitted a single food convoy to pass through their lines to the height despite a signed agreement to do so. Referring to a demand by the consular corps that St. Julian’s Way, where many of the consulates are located, he neutralized, the military governor stated that the Jews were not shooting in that area and that the consuls have no right to establish neutral zones in the city.
HEBREW UNIVERSITY PREPARES TO OPEN ITS ACADEMIC YEAR IN JERUSALEM
Concluding his report to the advisory council, Dr. Joseph said that arrangement were practically completed for opening the Hebrew University’s academic year in facilities other than its own buildings, which are on isolated Mt. Scopus. He also said t hat all barbed wire and gun emplacements have been removed from “Bevingrad,” the area of the city fortified by the British for the protection of their military and civil establishments during the last months of the Palestine Mandate. He added the hope that the barricades had been removed “forever.”
In a separate statement issued later today, Dr. Joseph took issue with a report to the U.N. by Dr. Bunche holding Israel responsible for failure to guarantee Count Bernadotte’s safety. The military governor emphasized that United Nations personnel have always insisted upon freedom of movement during inspections and have refused to accept Jewish military escorts. That attitude, Dr. Joseph insisted, made it impossible to provide adequate security for Bernadotte.
Jerusalem was quiet last night and today except for two air alerts during the night when unidentified planes were heard. Some mortar shells were fired at Jewish positions on Mt. Zion, but no damage or casualties were inflicted, an Israeli communique announced.
The lengthy trial of Frederick Sylvester and William Hawkins, Britons charged with espionage in behalf of the Arabs, is expected to conclude here today. A verdict will probably be handed down tomorrow.
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