Evening star., 1949-01-12
Britain Denies
Shipping Arms
Arab Allies
Cabinet Hears Bevin
Report Palestine
Developments
ey the Associated Press

LONDON, Jan. 12.-Foreign
Secretary Bevin told a lengthy
cabinet meeting today of latest
Palestine developments which
the Foreign Office calls a grave
threat to peace in the Middle
East.
The meeting lasted more than
three hours. There was no imme-
diate announcement of action.
The Foreign Office denied Israel's
assertion that Britain has sent mill
tary supplies to her Arab state allies
in violation of the United Nations
arms embargo.
A spokesman said Israel itself
broke the embargo by importing
supplies from Communist Czecho-
slovakia ION a massive scale" He
said 80 per cent of Israel's supplies
came from East Europe. He said
American dollars, but not United
States Government dollars, make
possible the purchases.
Accusations Exchanged.
Israel and Britain blamed eacss
other for the crisis.
The cabinet meeting was the first
called since British-1srael tension
heightened over the destruction of
five Royal Air Force planes in the
Palestine-Egyptian frontier area
last Friday.
Israeli forces shot down the planes,
described as armed reconnaissance
craft. They fell in the closing phase
Of long border battle between Is
rael and Egypt. Armistice talks be-
tween Israel and Egypt are due to
start at Rhodes this week under
United Nations auspices Acting U.
N. Mediator Ralph j. Bunche ar
rived at Rhodes yesterday.
Stand Is Outlined.
A Foreign Office statement, issued
after Israel complained about Brit
ish activities to the Security Council
at Lake Success yesterday. defined
Britain's current stand on the Pal
estine problem:
To exercise restraint, back up the
United Nations and reserve her
rights as to future action.
"One Of the great dangers in the
situation lies in the fact that the
Security Council has been losing
control over the events" the state
ment said. "It Is of paramount i'm
portance that this authority should
be re-established without delay and
maintained until a final settlement
is reached"
Israel Charges Menace.
Israel charged in q note to the
Security Council that Britain is
menacing her with both military
and political activity. The Tel
Aviv government urged the Council |
to investigate British troop and |
naval movements. 1t declared RAF
planes violated the Palestine
frontier and that British arms have
gone to three of its Arab foes, Egypt,
Iraq and Trans-Jordan.
The Council gave no indication |
when 1t would consider the note.
The Foreign Office statement de-
clared Israel has repeatedly violated
~ &Ns u uSC O1dS1 ., oI444 OSSup1CO
some Lebanese territory and the
possibility cannot be excluded of
further Jewish attacks in violation |
of the truce, in Jerusalem or else
where, against forces of Trans
Jordan or Iraq'
1t said "the reports of the acting
mediator leave no room for doubt |
that the present crisis is the out
come Of Jewish aggression"
Attlee Heckled on Palestine.
Prime Minister Attlee was heckled
on Palestine policy at a political
meeting last night. Somebody in
terrupted his remarks on COM
munism and yellew:
What about British troops in
Palestine?"
Mr.. Attlee replied that the Pales-
tine question had been handed over
to the United Nations 80 that the
people-and there is more than one
race in Palestine-can decide (their
future) for themselves"
Ill., Fl L. f