Evening star., 1949-01-10
Palestine
Continued From First Page. J

and to all possible subsequent
action"
A Tel Aviv dispatch said the
Israeli representative refused to ac-
cept the British protest because it
was addressed to Jewish authori-
tics in Tel Aviv" and not to the
provisional government of Israel.
1t was the second such Israeli re-
fusal in two days. The first was
by the Israeli delegation to the
U. N. Security Council in New York
for the same reason. Britain does
not recognize the state of Israel.
Must Use Third Power.
If the British government wants
the protest to reach Tel Aviv it now
may be required to transmit 1t
through third power-such as the
United States or RuSSia-Which
has diplomatic relations with both
Britain and Israel.
A source close to the government
in Tel Aviv said today that Israel
will accuse Britain before the
United Nations of violating the
U. N. truce in Palestine
The cabinet decided yesterday to
send instructions to Aubrey Eban,
its representative at Lake Success,
to lodge such a charge, the Tel Aviv
informant said.
The government will not ask the
Security Council to define Britain
as belllgerent, although it takes
Brltain'S present position in the
Palestine conflict most seriously, the
informant added. The protest will
refer to Britain's air reconnaissance
in the Southern Negeb Desert area
and the sending of British troops
to Aquaba. 1t also will accuse Brit
ain of large-scale arms shipments
to the Egyptians, the source said.
Government sources said it is
probable Britain's next step will be
a strong demand that the U. N.
Security Council insist that Jewish
troops keep within Israel's boun-
daries and that Israel pay for the
loss of planes and pilots.
If she fails to get effective Sc
curity Council action Britain was
reported by one government source
as ready to take definite measures
of her own to bulwark the Arab
states against possible territorial en-
by Israel.
This probably would include
notice to the Security Council that
Britain no longer feels bound by
the embargo against shipping arms
to participants in the Arab-Jewish
strife. 1t probably would be accom-
panied by an even greater increase
in British power in the Mid-East.
Arms Shipments Denied.
The Foreign Office denied again
today all published reports that
Britain has supplied Egypt and other
Arab states with munitions since
the arms embargo was laid down
last summer.
Public resentment against Israel
was bitter, but Mr.. Bevin also came
in for his share of criticism.
The independent Liberal news
paper Manchester Guardian said
the foreign secretary "istaking peril
Gus and needless risks in the Mid
die East
1t said in particular:
l. The action of sending British
aircraft over corner of the area
where Israel and Egypt have been
flghting was "indefensible.
2. The decision to send British
troops to TranS-Jordan's Red Sea
Port of Aqaba was a case of bad
timing.
Their clumsy proceedings have
given the Russians a perfect op-
portunity to step in and pose as
champions of Israeli freedom. and
they have taken their chance neat
ly," the paper said.
Britain Deploying Force.
Meantime Britain hastened de-
ployment of her Mediterranean
forces.
Two British frigates sailed early
yesterday from Malta to Cyprus,
near the Palestine coast. An Ad-
miralty spokesman said the aircraft
carrier Triumph and the cruiser
Phoebe, which have been cruising
the Mediterranean, have been re-
called to rejoin other British war
ships concentrated there.
A dispatch from the Central Med
iterranean island said shore leave
for all British sailors has been can
celed.
A brigade of marine commandos
was alerted at Malta over the week
end for shipment to an und1sclosed