501.BB Palestine/4–2748
Memorandum Prepared in the Department of State1
Text of Informal Truce Proposals for Palestine2
“The Arab Higher Committee and the Jewish Agency for Palestine accept the following articles of truce for Palestine effective midnight, April 30–May 1, 1948 and accept responsibility for insuring compliance by the Arab and Jewish communities of Palestine therewith:
“article 1
“All military or para-military activities, not authorized by the Security Council Truce Commission, as well as acts of violence, terrorism and sabotage, shall cease immediately.
“article 2
“Armed bands and fighting personnel, groups and individuals, whatever their origin, shall not be brought into Palestine nor be assisted or encouraged to enter Palestine during the period of the truce.
“article 3
“Weapons and war materials shall not be acquired or imported into Palestine by the Arab Higher Committee and the Jewish Agency for Palestine, nor shall any assistance or encouragement be given to the importation or acquisition of such weapons and war materials.
“article 4
“All Jewish and Arab armed elements in Palestine shall be immobilized and their activities during the truce shall be under the supervision of the Security Council Truce Commission.
“article 5
“Any person or group of persons found by the Security Council Truce Commission, after proper investigation, to have committed acts [Page 867] of violence, terrorism or sabotage contrary to the terms of this truce, shall be immediately expelled from Palestine or placed in custody under arrangements to be made by the Security Council Truce Commission.
“article 6
“During the truce, and without prejudice to the future governmental structure of Palestine, existing Arab and Jewish authorities shall accord full and equal rights to all inhabitants of the area in which such authorities are functioning; further, no steps shall be taken by Arab or Jewish authorities to proclaim a sovereign state during this truce.
“article 7
“The Arab Higher Committee and the Jewish Agency for Palestine accept the Security Council Truce Commission during this truce as a mediator to maintain by mutual collaboration public order and essential public services and to adjust administrative problems.
“article 8
“All persons, groups and organizations in Palestine pledge their maximum effort to preserve the holy places and to protect all activities connected therewith.
“article 9
“All traffic and communications throughout Palestine of the nature declared by the Security Council Truce Commission to be peaceful and nonprejudicial in character shall be allowed complete freedom of movement and operation by all parties in Palestine.
“article 10
“During the period of the truce, 4,000 Jewish displaced persons shall be allowed to enter Palestine each month. The selection and administration of such immigration shall be assumed jointly by the International Refugee Organization and the Jewish Agency for Palestine, in consultation with the Security Council Truce Commission and the Arab Higher Committee. The Security Council Truce Commission and the Arab Higher Committee shall determine, in consultation with the Jewish Agency for Palestine, the quotas and selection of all non-Jewish immigration.3
[Page 868]“article 11
“The Security Council Truce Commission shall institute or arrange patrols both by land and by sea to ensure that immigration into Palestine does not exceed the agreed number and conforms with the selection requirements set forth in Article 10, above.
“article 12
“The Arab Higher Committee and the Jewish Agency for Palestine undertake to assist the United Nations in the establishment of a temporary international zone, as a matter of emergency, for the protection of the city of Jerusalem.
“article 13
“The Arab Higher Committee and the Jewish Agency for Palestine undertake to participate in the establishment of a Palestine trace council, composed of three representatives of each, to effect the joint action necessary for the execution of this truce and to assist the Security Council Truce Commission in carrying out its functions.
“article 14
“This truce shall remain effective for three months, and thereafter unless either the Arab Higher Committee or the Jewish Agency for Palestine gives at least thirty days notice of terminiation to the Security Council Truce Commission. The Security Council Truce Commission shall immediately notify the Security Council of the receipt by it of any such notice of termination.”
- Transmitted to Mr. Lovett by Mr. McClintock with his memorandum of April 28.↩
- As set forth in telegram 510 and as modified in telegram 515, both dated April 27, from New York. The former message, sent by Mr. Rusk to Mr. Lovett, requested the Department to “relay following text of articles of truce to Wasson in Jerusalem for his information and for delivery to Dr. Leo Kohn, Jewish Agency for Palestine, at the request of Moshe Shertok. Wasson should understand unofficial nature of these draft articles which are basis for go-between effort in New York and are not U.S. official proposals. Wasson is at liberty show these privately to his French, Belgian and British colleagues but should not show them to Arab authorities or discuss with Jewish and Arab authorities at this juncture.” (501.BB Palestine/4–2748) Consul Wasson, on April 27, acknowledged receipt of the two relays from New York and advised that the previous day he had met with his French and Belgian colleagues to discuss organization of the Truce Commission (telegram 491 from Jerusalem, 501.BB Palestine/4–2748). President Truman, on April 28, nominated Mr. Wasson to be United States Representative on the Truce Commission, subject to Senate confirmation (telegram 264, April 28, to New York, 501.BB Palestine/4–2848).↩
- Mr. McClintock’s memorandum of April 28 to Mr. Lovett noted that “all [articles] except Article 10 dealing with immigration have been provisionally agreed upon, subject to approval by their principals, by representatives of the Jewish Agency and the Arab League in New York City.” (501.BB Palestine/4–2748)↩