Israeli Office in Washington Releases Data on British Supply of Arms to Arabs

The Israeli office of information here today issued a statement with regard to the assertions made by Hector McNeil, British Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, yesterday in Commons maintaining that the British Government had “meticulously observed” the embargo on arms and war equipment to the countries of the Middle East.

“There is no doubt that this statement is fully in accordance with the facts as far as Israel is concerned,” the Israeli statement said. “There is as well not doubt that Britain has supplied various kinds of war equipment to the Arab countries during the period of the Palestine truce, that is between June 11 and July 9, 1948,” the statement added.

The Israeli office here said that “reliable information” had reached Israeli quarters from various sources proving “that Egypt, Iraq and Transjordan have received a considerable amount of British arms during the last six months.” The statement then outlined “some of the more striking examples of British violations of the orders of the Security Council of the United Nations.”

During the truce and prior to the middle of October, the statement said, 20,000 rounds or 6-pounder ammunition, 5,000 rounds of 25-pounder ammunition, and approximately 2,000 to 3,000 rounds of larger than 25 pounder ammunition were supplied by the British to the Egyptian Army. “Egypt is known to have requested and additional British supply of heavy and medium artillery ammunition which may have been supplied in the meantime,” the statement said.

The Israeli statement listed 12 other instances in which the British allegedly supplied arms to fighting Arab forces in Palestine, giving dates and types of arms or fighting equipment supplied.