Evening star., 1948-07-10
Rabbi, Arab Colonel
Embrace as Truce in
Jerusalem Runs Out
By Daniel De Luce
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent


IN JERUSALEM'S OLD CITY,
July 10.-A Rabbi and an Arab
Legion commander clasped one an
other yesterday in brotherly fare
well, five minutes before the truce
ended in Jerusalem.
The meeting in the old city Of
1t. Col. Abdullah Bey Tell and
Chief Rabbi Mordecai Weingarter
was an affecting human drama. Col.
Tel had prolonged the truce two
hours to grant the Rabbits appeal
for personal meeting.
Rabbi Weingarten wanted to ask
Tell to permit the burial OF num-
her OF bodies which Jewish fighters
had crudely cremated in the ruins
of the Jewish Quarter before it was
evacuated. He also sought the re-
turn of religious books and sacra-
mental vessels now in the Legions
safekeeping and the early release
of two religious Jews held in q
Trans Jordan prisoner-of-war camp.
Second Meeting Arranged.
The Arab commander promised
serious consideration for all these
requests. He invited the Rabbi to
visit him again today to talk over
arrangements.
The Rabbi had been expected to
appear alone at Legion lines. How
ever, two Jewish officials OF New Je-
rusalem had insisted on accompany
ing him and listening to the whole
conversation. One official angrily
protested when British and Amer
ican photographers attempted to get
pictures. He hid his face.
Rabbi Weingarten apologized to
the photographers for the officials
attitude and said he was poWerleSs
to intervene.
When the interview was over, Col.
Tell, grim-lipped, announced thai
'rhe Legion will hold its ground at
all costs, but we are waiting for the
situation in Jerusalem to be clarl-
fed He added that Legion heavy
guns were ordered not to shell New
Jerusalem unless the Jews used !
mortars against the old city.
Reconstruction Planned.
Five minutes after the truce ex-
pired, Jerusalem experienced only a
slight increase in the harrasslng
eunflre which has been going on for
two days.
Plump, bearded Rabbi Weingarten,
fifth generation OF his family to
devote himself to the service Of the
old city Jews, said he hoped plans
might be made soon for the recon-
struction of his community near the
Wailing Wall.
According to his own story, the
Rabbi and his family were, threat
ened with death by Jewish extrem-
jsts for trying to negotiate an early
surrender of the old city last May.
Later the Rabbi negotiated the sur
render with Col. Tell on May %.
The safe return by the legionnalres
of 1900 Jewish non-combatants to
Jewish lines had brought fervent
expressions of gratitude from the
rabbi.
Frank Begley, United Nations Sc
cuuity officer who drove the rabbl's
party to Arab lines, said he is op-
timistic over prospects for demill-
tarization of Jerusalem and perhaps
in the near future another Holy
Land truce.
The news of Count Bernadotte's
flight to Amman and visit with King
.Abdullah spread rapidly among
Arabs and Jews alike. Many ex-
pressed belief that the welfare not
only of Jerusalem but of all the
Holy Land could be affected by such
meeting.
The legion's staff officers said they
had not received any reports by
midday of any serious clashes on
the fronts of other Arab armies in
Palestine, despite yesterdays re-
port by the Jews that the Egyptians
began attacking along the southern
coast.