At the United Nations, meanwhile, a resolu-
tion was approved that authorised the enforce-
ment of a truce on the exhausted belligerents.
The truce came into force on 11 June 1948. Both
sides, using what turned out to be no more than
a breathing space to strengthen their military
positions, ignored the truce provisions. A renewal
of fighting was regarded as certain. While the
Arabs increased their regular troops to 45,000,
the Czechs and French sent large quantities of
arms to the Israelis, including fighter planes. On
8 July 1948 fighting resumed. The Israelis went
on the offensive; a second UN truce on the 18th
was soon broken. Count Bernadotte charged by
the UN with brokering a permanent peace, was
gunned down in Jerusalem in September, proba-
bly by a group of extremists. The Israeli govern-
ment now proceeded to imprison members of the
Stern Group (Lehi). Israel’s lack of control over
murderous extremists had become a serious hand-
icap in its international relations at a time when
it desperately needed friends.436 THE ENDING OF EUROPEAN DOMINANCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, 1919–80
Under the portrait of Theodor Herzl, David Ben Gurion at 4 p.m. on 14 May 1948 proclaims the State of Israel.
© Robert Capa R/Magnum Photos