Evening star., 1948-06-18
Israeli Premier Fears
Resumption Of War
Before Truce Ends
BY the Associated Press

BY the Assoeioisd Pres,
TEL AVN. Israel, June 10
Prime Minister David Ben
Gurion takes a dim view of
long-range peace prospects for
Palestine and even doubts hos
tilities can be STAYED of until
the four week truce ends.
He expressed this view before the
Israeli Provisional State Council last
night after talks with Count Folke
Bernadotte, United Nations medi-
ator, who arrived from Cairo yester-
day.
The prime minister said the Jews
are ready to participate in peace
talks at Rhodes "as full-right part
ners, but we are not sure if the Arab
leaders and their foreign advisers
are also interested in peace"
we hear" he said, "the British
will accomplish evacuation during
the month of June and at that time
We can expect renewed Arab attacks
on Israel from the land, sea and air.
The Jews must be prepared for
continued war because not only the
state of Israel, but the existence
of the whole Jewish people is in the
balance"
Israel to Send Experts.
Foreign Minister Moshe Shertok
told the Council Israel will send
Jewish experts" to Rhodes to con-
suit with Count Bernadotte He
emphasized. however, that the pre-
liminary talks will not constitute
full-scale peace conference.
United Nations officials said the
Arabs previously agreed to send four
consultants for the preliminary
talks.
Mr.. Shertok said Count Berna-
dotte had proposed that the first
stage of the Rhodes talks will be
a conference between Count Berna-
dotte and his staff. with the assist
ance Of experts from the Arab and
Jewish sides who will be consulted
: on special questions
"Only II this conference should
prove that there is base for a
full-scale Arab-Jewish peace con-
frence," he said, will invitations
be sent to both sides"
(Reports in Cairo said Count
Bernadotte might ask for an
extension. OF the four week truce.
Abdel Rahman AzZam Pasha,
secretary of the Arab League,
commented that the U. N. medi-
ator should submit his peace
plans to Arabs and Jews before
the four-week period expires.)
Stumbling Blocks Seen.
Mr.. Ben-Gurion indicated that
Arab opposition to recognizing the
state of Israel and to continuing
immigration we're likely to be the
main stumbling blocks to any agree
ment at Rhodes.
IF the Arab leaders put forward
as reported-as q condition of the
peace talks that the Jewish state
be annulled and immigration
stopped, we can only advise the
mediator not to waste time" he
added.
Count Bernadotte plans further
fore leaving for Rhodes.
His white-colored Red Cross
plane arrived here yesterday only
few minutes after Tel Aviv air raid
sirens walled a half-hour alarm as
unidentified planes circles high over
the city.
Thousands of Israeli combat troops
now are on leave, their places taken
along the silent, watohful front by
other soldiers. Thousl11ns more are
back in camps where officers are
putting them through intensive ad-
vanced training to help make up
for the speed with which they had
to be hurried through the basfc,
arms drill weeks ago when they
were rushed into battle
Jews Call Up More Men.
Even during the truce, mobiliza-
ton for possible renewal of the war
continues. The Jews have finished
calling up classes of able-bodied
men up to SO years of age for COM
bat duty. Those over AZ are mobil-
lied in the home guard. Those be-
tween So and AZ are being held for
future military call as needed.
A new order this week authorized
the mobilization of others for es-
sential work and industry-men up
to IS, women up to so.
Local arms manufacture is being
rushed at top speed. Israel cannot
import arms under the truce terms,
but there is no bar to local manu-
facture, and the Jews manufacture
much of their arms.
The U. N. observers have taken
up their seven base posts through
out Palestine-at Nazareth. Ramal-
lah and GAIA in Arab territory. at
Jerusalem, and at Tel Aviv, Haifa
and Jaffa in Jewish-held terrain.