Editorial Note
Israeli Foreign Minister Shertok’s formal reply to Count Bernadotte, dated July 5, was in the form of observations on the latter’s suggestions. The observations were negative in character. Mr. Shertok concluded his message with an expression of hope that Count Bernadotte, after examining his observations, would reconsider his whole approach to the problem; for text of the reply and Major Eban’s transmitting letter of July 7 to the Secretary-General, see SC, 3rd yr., Supplement for July 1948, page 27.
The Arab reply to Count Bernadotte was made by Azzam Pasha under cover of a letter of July 3. The reply adversely criticized the Mediator’s suggestions and offered various counter-proposals. Some of these called for Palestine to be a unitary, sovereign, and democratic state, with guarantees of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and of the sanctity of the holy places. A provisional government was to be established, representative of all important sections of the citizenry in proportion to their numerical strength (telegram 920, July 6, 6 p. m. from Cairo, 501.BB Palestine/7–648). The text is printed in United Nations, Official Records of the Third Session of the General Assembly, Supplement No. 11 (A/648), page 19.