Heavy Jewish counterattacks today drove Arab Legion forces out of positions which they had captured from the Jews on Mt. Zion during a day of fighting yesterday and last night, it was officially announced here today.
The Israeli communique revealed that not only had the Arabs been routed from Jewish positions, but they had been ousted in some cases from installations which they had held prier to their attacks yesterday. Apparently the main Arab base lost to the Jews today was one in the no-man’s land sector in that area which had been “demilitarized” by the U.N., but from which the Arabs had refused to move.
While the Arab Legion attacked Jewish positions on Mt. Zion yesterday, the Egyptian forces shelled the heights near Marelias, halfway between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The shells fell into the middle of the city but no casualties were reported.
During the action in Jerusalem, an Arab sniper fired at a U.N. observer’s car entering the French consulate, carrying members of the Consular Truce Commission, American consul-general William Burdett, chief U.N.O. observer Colonel George V. Millet and U.S. military attache Major N. Andronovitch. The bullets penetrated the car, but the passengers were not hit. A protest has been filed with the U.N.
During the two days of battle Arab shells fell into the ancient Dormiton Abbey, in which the French Government is vitally interested, The French consul-general and chairman of the Consular Truce Commission, Rene Neuville, cabled a report of the incident to the French Government.
All Jewish men, between the ages of 18 and 48, except those who are exempted, today reported to the office of the director of man-power for work on essential defence positions. They will have to report for work for 14 consecutive days. The work will be done even on Saturdays and holidays with the approval of Chief Rabbi I### Herzog.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Government denied the published reports of friction between the U.S. consulate and Bernard Joseph, Israeli military governor of Jerusalem, over the reinforcement of Marines guarding the U.S. consulate, because the Marines were brought in without seeking the government’s permission. The official statement said the reports were “completely untrue.”
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.
