CAIRO, Jan. 15—(AP)—Assad Dagner, chief of the press section of the Arab League, told press conference today the league has recommended that Arab states occupy all Palestine with regular armies when British troops leave.

Britain has said she will terminate her mandate in Palestine May 15 and that the deadline for evacuation of her troops is Aug 1.

Asked whether the plan to occupy all of Palestine with regular Arab armies represented the decision of each individual Arab country or the recommendation of the Arab League, Assod said:

"The Arab League recommends and each state is not forced to take the recommendation."

Won't Recognize State

Assad said the reason the league recommended occupation of all Palestine was that it does not recognize the existence of the Jewish state proposed by the United Nations, under its partition plan of Nov. 29.

Assad declared that the league would consider it an "unfriendly act" if an international police force landed in the Holy Land before the British forces leave. In such a case, the league council would "take steps to meet this emergency."

The Arabs had decided to fight to the end against partition, and nothing would dissuade them.

Told that the Palestine government has agreed that foreign countries may send troops to guard their consulates, Assad declared that if the government were unable to protect foreign nationals," "each nation is perfectly welcome to send guards, but if the privilege is used to disguise the sending of large forces, the league will make its own decision regarding such cases."

Original Source

January 15, 1948 | The Sun Times

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