Evening star., 1948-06-11
New Hope in Palestine

The truce that began this morning IN
tortured Palestine raises the qualified but
nonetheless substantial hope that way
will yet be found to establish lasting and
mutually advantageous peace between the
provisional government of Israel and the
seven opposing governments of the Arab
League. In any event, with violence and
death on a holiday the negotiating atmos-
phere will be more conducive to reason
and good will, and every party concerned
not least of all the United Nations-thus
should have a better opportunity to work
out sound solution for the tragic, enor-
mously complex, and dynamite-laden
problem of the Holy Land.
Under terms of the truce-drawn up by
the U. N. Security Council and accepted
Internationally by both sides-an absolute
cease-fire order is to be in effect for the
next four weeks. Barring violations by
extremist elements, this means month of
military calm during which the Arab and
Israeli forces will be pledged to stay where
they are, add nothing to their strength
and suspend all hostilities. Meanwhile,
their political representatives will strive
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peace making formula capable OF prevent
ing resumption of warfare after the
armistice period comes to an end.
1t would be wishful in the extreme, of
course, to suppose that the truce in itself
solves anything. All 1t does is to provide
a relatively peaceful interlude for another
attempt to bring the Arabs and Jews to-
oothor in fo mt ociHa their
violent differences and join in co-opera-
tive endeavor to end the tragedy Of Pales-
tine. In seeking to bring about such an
agreement, Count Folke Bernadotte, whose
role as United Nations mediator is of key
Importance, is likely to find the going very
hard-much harder than he found it in
negotiating the armistice. The reason for
this is that the Arab League seems as
bitterly opposed as ever to the establish
ment of separate Jewish state, while the
Zionists are passionately determined to
maintain Israel on the basis of the General
Assembly recommendation to that end.
But though both sides thus remain
worlds apart n the fundamental issue
the issue of partition-the fact that they
have agreed to the truce Is definitely
a hopeful sign. Indeed, it Is the most
promising single development since the
outbreak of the Palestine war. For what
it suggests is that the leaders of the Arab
and Israeli forces, having tested each other
in battle, are at least doubtful now that
they can reach military decision, one
way or the other And If that is the case
if they have begun to suspect that there
is nothing to be gained in the long run
from a continuation of indecisive strife
then it is conceivable that with the help
of the United Nations they will be able
within the next four weeks to extend their
armistice into q working arrangement
leading step by step toward permanent
peace.
This possibility is further enhanced by
the apparent lessening Of differences In
American and British policy on the prob
lem. Certainly, since they carry excep-
tional weight throughout the Middle East
Britain and the United States can exert
tremendous influence for a settlement in
Palestine If they follow parallel courses