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Ben Gurion Warns of Impending Danger to Israel; Fears British Blockade During Truce

June 6, 1948
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"The danger to Israel baa not yet passed," Premier David Ben Gurion warned today, adding that "possibly the danger will be greater in the future since Britain intends to enforce, under the terms of the United Nations truce resolution, a sea blockade of the entire Palestine coast during’ the next four weeks."

Addressing the second meeting of the Israeli Provisional State Council here, Ben Gurion charged that the Arab states received from Britain tanks, artillery and planes to pursue their war on the Jewish state. He said that they worked out a plan which called for the capture of Haifa on May 20 and Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on May 25, at which time King Abdullah planned to proclaim himself king of all Palestine.

Reviewing the political and military situation of the three-week-old state, Ben Gurion declared; "The invasion of Palestine started long before the Mandate ended. The Arab invaders have been receiving the host part of the Mandatory’s arms and equipment. There is reason to believe that the invasion plans were also prepared for the Arabs by the Mandatory Power."

Meanwhile, Haifa’s mayor, Shabtai Levi, has been advised by the British Consul that if Amman is boated again by Jewish planes, an order will he issued to the British forces to shoot down every Israeli plane, since there is a British air force base in Amman.

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