A forest was dedicated today to the memory of the late Count Folke Bernadotte, United Nations Mediator for Palestine, who was assassinated in Jerusalem on Sept. 17, 1948. The forest is located on Jewish National Fund land at Neve Ilan, a settlement near Jerusalem.
The first trees were planted by G. Hendergre, Swedish Charge d’Affaires in Israel, Gen. William E. Riley, Chief of Staff of the United Nations truce supervision organization, Moshe Sharett, Israeli Foreign Minister and Yigal Yadin, Israeli Chief of Staff. An honorary scroll was handed to Foreign Ministry officials for transmission to Countess Bernadotte.
At a brief reception which followed the tree planting, cabled messages were read from Secretary-General Trygve Lie and Dr. Ralph Bunche, Count Bernadotte’s successor. Tribute to the late mediator was paid in speeches by the above-named principal guests and by other high ranking personalities, including the Deputy Speaker of the Knesset; Dr. Abraham Granott, chairman of the Jewish National Fund; and Dr. W. Eytan, director-general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
Mr. Sharett pledged that in the spirit of the work of Count Bernadotte Israel will seek a lasting peace with the Arab states. “We shall not spare any effort to bring it nearer until it is finally achieved, “he said.
Gen. Riley recalled the late United Nations Mediator’s efforts to establish a truce. “This forest will pay an enduring tribute to an outstanding peacemaker, a great internationalist and humanitarian and a devoted servant of the United Nations. As it grows, may it ever flourish in that atmosphere of peace and goodwill among men for which Count Bernadotte gave his all.” Gen. Riley concluded.
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