Introduction

Abstract

In May 1948, in the middle of the first war between Israel and the Arab states, Count Folke Bernadotte, a Swede of royal blood, was sent as a mediator to Palestine by a Special UN General Assembly. Four months later he was murdered in the streets of Jerusalem by Jewish terrorists. Bernadotte’s immediate and visible accomplishment was the attainment and supervision of a series of truces, and the provision of proposals for an ultimate settlement, all of which appeared to be ephemeral and inconclusive. Nevertheless, deeper and long-lasting historical results emerged out of his efforts which neither he nor indeed anyone else who was active in Palestine in 1948, could have foreseen at the time. In particular, while he worked to bring about a partition solution based on a temporary strategic equilibrium which looked equitable to him and to the major western powers, he actually helped to bring about a new and lasting equilibrium, which suited Israel better but hurt the Arabs. The main purpose of this study is to show how such a result came about.