PALESTINE TRUCE MACHINERY NEAR COLLAPSE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01443R000200360004-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 27, 2000
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: July 13, 1954
• Content Type: BRIEF

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units involved. 9 killed. Holy places hit or endangered.
2. On 30 June Israeli police boat illegally patrolling Lake
Tiberias fired on by Syrian shore battery. 2 killed, 5
injured.
3. Israeli patrol and Egyptian outpost in Gaza strip battled
on 10 July. Most recent of recurrent incidents. 6 killed.
B. This Situation Caused By:
L. Israeli discreditation of UN machinery: Israel has
been boycotting Israeli-Jordan Mixed Armistice Commission;
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NSC BRIEFING 13 July 1954
PALESTINE TRUCE MACHINERY NEAR COLLAPSE
I. The Situation
A. New fighting on Israel's Jordanian, Syrian and Egyptian
borders during past two weeks evidences near collapse of
UN truce supervision organization.
1. Fighting in Jerusalem on 1 July ended only after 4th
cease-fire arranged by UN. Israeli and Jordanian army
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Israeli press
ha
has accused UN observers of bias against Israel; s
demanded removal of Hutchison, chairman of Israeli-
Jordanian commission, and UN chief observer Bennike.
K-
Army spokesman said on 12 July: "Israel's confidence
in UN machinery is shattered."
a. Top Israeli officers are reliably reported "quite
happy about present situation." It enables them to
"exact ten teeth for a tooth" and keeps the army on the
"qui vive."
3. High tension resulting from aggressiveness. In Jerusalem
Jordanian as well as Israeli civilians share military
tension which appears at times nearly uncontrollable.
Pattern of fighting was: Civilian rock-throwing-
sniping-army units in action.
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4. Jordan government has adopted a policy of "returning
II. Expectations
A. Continuing tension, new outbreaks, mutual 1i1`criminations.
B. Increased Israeli attack on uselessness and bias of UN
truce machinery.
1. Non-cooperative attitude on part of Israe 9 recent
proposals for strengthening the truce machinery.
2. Unrealistic Israeli insistKnce that Arab states make
peace on basis of existing situation in area.
3. Some army officers will continue aggressive policy,
still hoping for right circumstances which will permit
full-scale military solution of border situation.
4. Present moderate Israeli government under Sharett will
probably be restrained by its dependence on West and
threat of possible British action.
C. Arabs will continue demand that West discipline Israel.
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1. Iraqi prime minister and foreign minister have
separately recommended West proceed with UN-sponsored
internationalization of Jerusalem. Israelemotionally
interested in Jerusalem would not accept this. Arab
insistence on this point might only raise more problems
in UN.
2. Individual Arabs will continue cause trouble. Armies
and governments may be pushed by civilian pressure and
Israeli aggressiveness to adopt potentially explosive
defensive policies. Responsible Arabs, however, aware
of Israeli military superiority,~will not seek war.
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