A landmine today blasted a military jeep five miles west of Jerusalem and killed four British soldiers of the Sixth Airborne Division, it was officially announced here. The mine, which was filled with rivets, was electrically detonated. None of the attackers was captured.
Meanwhile, rumors continue that British military headquarters in the Middle East will eventually be transferred to Palestine, despite a denial today by government press officer Richard Stubbs. It is understood that Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery, in a talk to British officers at Sarafand on Saturday, asked that the troops keep the Jewish extremists in Palestine, and on no account permit them to leave the country.
At his press conference today, Stubbs declared that the government knew nothing about the modified “Federalization Plan” reported yesterday by the newspaper Mishmar. He also announced that the government was making efforts to halt illegal Arab immigration from Syria and Transjordan.
The first group of 300 Jews to leave Cyprus internment camps for Palestine, sailed from there this afternoon on the Empire Rival, one of the three ships which brought the visaless immigrants from the Knesseth Israel to the island, and is expected to arrive in Haifa tomorrow.
A “Battle of Quotations” raged on the air today as the government radio cited a passage from Isaiah in reply to another quotation from the same prophet broadcast by the Haganah radio on Friday. Commenting on the deportations to Cyprus, the Voice of Israel had quoted: “We looked for judgment, but behold–oppression.” In reply the PBS broadcast: “How is the Faithful City become a harlot. It was full of judgment, righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.” The last was apparently a reference to the gun battle in Jerusalem on Saturday night.
Jacob G. Javits, Congressman-elect from New York, arrived here on the first leg of a world tour and was received by High Commissioner Sir Alan G. Cunningham and Chief Secretary H.L. Gurney. Javits plans to remain here for ten days during which he will speak to representative British, Jewish and Arab leaders.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
