867N.01/2–948: Airgram
The Consul General at Jerusalem (Macatee) to the Secretary of State
A–37. Continuation of A–36.
IV. The British Situation.
The British continue to be adamant in their refusal to assist in any shape or fashion the implementation of the partition recommendation. [Page 612] Their officials, generally speaking, cannot get out of Palestine too soon. The Police have no sympathy for the Jews, and state freely their opinion that the latter will “collect a packet” from the Arabs once the British relinquish the mandate. Many Police add that in their opinion the Jews have “asked for it.” However, high ranking British officials have expressed the belief that Jews and Arabs will eventually fight to a standstill and then come to an agreement which will not be based on partition. The British Army generally seems occupied with minimizing any casualties it might receive from strong intervention between Jews and Arabs, Aside from patrolling certain key areas, it employs decisive force only when disturbances seem likely to become widespread.
The British have refused to grant the Jews the port and hinterland which the U.N. recommended be handed over by February 1, 1948 for the purpose of enabling increased Jewish immigration to take place; they have, according to other reports, refused to permit the Jews to establish their capital at Haifa until after the British military have completely evacuated; and they have refused to countenance the establishment of a Jewish militia while Britain holds the mandate.
With respect to the ability of the U.N. Commission to control matters, the attitude of the local British may best be summed up in the words of one of their highest ranking officials: when the Commission arrives, Palestine “will go up in smoke”. They want as little as possible to do with it, and feel that providing security for it, even for a short period of two weeks, will be a terrible task.
British women and children are expected to leave in the course of the next month or six weeks. A few British Police have signified their intention of remaining in a U.N. Police Force for Jerusalem, if one is established. But for the most part, Britishers look at Palestine and rsay they’ve “had it”. Though they say little, one occasionally hears the brief comment from them that after the U.N. has guided Palestinian affairs for a while, it might come to the conclusion that the British haven’t done so badly.
(Section V, “The Position of the Consulate General”, contained in A–38.1)
- Dated February 9, not printed.↩