Count Folke Bernadotte, the U.N. mediator, today informed the United Nations Secretary-General that the Palestine cease-fire will go into effect at 2 A.M. on Friday, New York time, providing it is accepted by the Governments of Israel and the Arab League states.
Bernadotte advised the governments concerned that if the effective date is accepted by them he will confirm the time at which the four-week truce should go into effect. If, however, the cease-fire should again be rejected or hedged with conditions and interpretations, Bernadotte added, his peacemaking efforts will be suspended and a full report sent to the Security Council. The provisions of Bernadotte’s proposal are:
1. All fighting personnel, persons belonging to organized military units and persons tearing arms shall be debarred from Palestine and the Arab countries during the truce period.
2. The mediator shall, at his own discretion, determine if there are enough men of military age among the immigrant groups slated to debark in Palestine during the truce period to tip the military balance. If such a number is included, they will be refused entry.
3. Should man of military age enter the country they will be held in camps under the surveillance of U.N. observers on the mediator’s staff and would not be mobilized U.N. observers will also check all immigrant ships at ports of embarkation and debarkation.
4. During the first week of the truce the mediator shall, at his own discretion, be free to shut off all immigration if the situation requires it.
5. Movements of troops or war materials from one interested country to another or closer to the borders of Palestine of to the fighting fronts shall be forbidden.
6. All fighting fronts and communications lines shall be frozen during the truce, and all reinforcements of men or supplies forbidden. Routine replacement of personnel is, however, permitted.
7. No war materials shall be imported into Palestine or any “territory of any interested party.”
8. The civilian populations of Jerusalem and Jaffa shall receive food through the International Red Cross for the four-week period, but not reserve supplies can be brought into either city so that essential stocks shall be substantially the same at the end of the truce as they were at the beginning.
9. All warlike acts, whether on land, sea or air, shall be prohibited during the truce.
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