867N.01/5–1348: Telegram
The Consul at Jerusalem (Wasson) to the Secretary of State
605. There is quoted below text of letter dated May tenth addressed to Chief Secretary, Palestine Government by General Secretary, Executive of the Jewish Agency, setting forth its stand on subject of “cease-fire” imposed by mandatory power:
“I am directed by the Executive of the Jewish Agency to lodge a formal protest against the manner in which the ‘cease-fire’ arrangement for Jerusalem was fixed for May 8 at 12 p. m. without the Jewish Agency having been consulted. The Jewish Agency has accepted and will honour the arrangement. I must, however, protest against the arrangement having been put into force on the basis of consultations with the Arab side only. The Jewish Agency expressed its readiness to agree to a cease-fire all over Palestine if the other side agreed to it. The government has not imposed any such country-wide cease-fire upon the Arabs. The Jews for their part cannot agree that the Arabs could select one particular place in which they are concerned for a cease-fire arrangement, and that the cease-fire should thereupon be imposed on the Jews by the government without their even having been consulted.
“I am to add that if there is no arrangement before hand on arrangements of this kind; the Jewish Agency must reserve to itself freedom of action”.