Israelis Prepare for Any Eventuality With Drills, Shelters
(Continued from Page 16)
eminent of national unity capa-
ble, it said, of effectively leading
the nation in these difficult
times.
of the present government."
Wilson said that Britain would
"support and promote" interna-
tional action to uphold the right
of free passage for shipping
Israelis were preparing for any through the Strait of Tiran.
eventuality as the tension contin-
The British Ministry of De-
ued to build steadily toward a fense said Wednesday that British
showdown. warships passing through the Medi-
The ministry of education issued terranean had been "temporarily
special instructions for safety meas- held over" because of the Middle
ures in all the schools and proce. East situation. One of the vessels
dures to be followed in the event involved is the 35,000-ton aircraft
of a shooting war. Air-raid drills carrier, Victorious. An admiralty
in a number of schools are hell spokesman said that rather than
daily until the crisis is passed. dispatch ships from home waters,
Air-raid shelters were hastily those passing through the Mediter-
being made ready for use by the ranean "are being held in readi-
civilian population in the event of ness against any eventuality."
any contingency. Teams of house-
At first, following France,
wives were organized to prepare the British diplomat hedged on
the shelters already set up in apart- Britain's commitment to protect
ment houses and private homes. the Arab-Israeli borders in the
There was a significant reduction 1950 Tripartite Agreement.
He
in public bus services in Tel Aviv said that the agreement was .17
and other cities. Some routes were years old and that "changed con-
discontinued, and the frequency of ditions" required different meth-
operation of others changed.
ods. He added that he would not
exclude British military interven-
CITIZENS PREPARE
The ministry of trade and in- tion but that this was a "remote
dustry sought to reassure nervous and unlikely" contingency and that
housewives seeking to put in sup- if it did occur, it would take place
plies of essential foodstuffs. The only in conjunction with United
ministry announced that the coun- Nations erforts in the area. He
try had ample supplies of vital reiterated his criticism of UN Sec-
foodstuffs such as fats, flour and
sugr.
In many factories, women were
seen replacing men who had been
called up for service during the
At an emergency meeting at-
crisis.
tended by Detroit's community
Israel official and security cir- leaders, a statement on the current
des said that the partial mobili-
Middle East crisis was issued to
zation which had been carried all organizations and synagogues
out during the first few days had affiliated with the Jewish Com-
provided sufficient force to meet 'nullity Council.
any possible Egyptian attack.
The message reads, in part,
Should additional measures be
necessary, they said, they would as follows:
The
Jewish Community Council
be effected without delay.
All Israeli units mobilized since of Detroit, the Zionist Council and
precipitated
the
current
the
local
leadership of many De-
Egypt
crisis by ordering the United Na. , troit and national Jewish organ-
tions Emergency Force off its ter. izations have kept in close touch
ritory, have been placed on full with the rapidly developing Middle
combat footing. Israeli naval units East situation.
off Eilat in the Gulf of Aqaba , Both as American citizens and
view of
have also been given their emerg- as Jews with a particular
ency instructions and ordered to the importance of Israel, we are
the
in
unanimous
agreement
that
be ready for any contingency. ;
area
Dispatches from Amman, capital • Preservation of peace in that
is critical to the welfare, security
of Jordan, said 20,000 Saudi Ara- and
prosperity of the nationals
bian troops had moved into Jordan
of
all the Middle East states.
and taken up, positions at Aqaba,
The Detroit Jewish community
within sight of Eilat, the vital Is-
has responded well and effec-
raeli port at the northern end of
tively
to the demand of the
Egyptian
the Gulf of Aqaba.
present crisis. Hundreds of mes-
sources said Soviet-build MIG jets
sages
have
gone from Detroit to
of the United Arab Republic air
retary-General U Thant for his
hasty withdrawal of the UN Emer-
gency Force from the Egyptian-
Israeli border and declared he was
working with other governments
for some sort of UN presence in
the area.
The Evening Standard, in an
article by Jon Kimche, former edi-
tor of the Middle East Review, said
that President Johnson sent a mes-
sage to Soviet Premier Kosygin
that the United States was fully
committed to support Israel in
maintaining the international char-
acter of the Strait of Tiran and
the Gulf of Aqaba. Kimche wrote
that "this American commitment,
the Russians and President Nasser
of Egypt now know, embraces com-
plete joint operation plans agreed
to between the United States and
Israel."
Kimche asserted that the com-
mitment was made in May 1964
when President Johnson and Prem-
ier Levi Eshhkol of Israel met in
Washington for 30 minutes after
all United States and Israeli aides
had been asked to leave the meet-
ing.
In the Hague, Netherlands
Prime Minister Pieter DeJong
received the Israeli and Egyptian
ambassadors in separate audi-
ences Tuesday night and in-
formed them of the Dutch gov-
ernment's concern over the
developing tension in the Middle
East.
He informed the Egyptian envoy
that the Dutch government re-
garded its blockade of the Gulf of
Aqaba as a violation of interna-
tional agreements.
People in the streets of Jerusa-
lem and Tel Aviv continued to
show calmness although they ex-1
pressed bitterness at Israel's "be-1
trayal." The only noticeable sign
of tension was the virtual stand-
still when the Israel Radio news
program was being broadcast. It
seemed at those moments that ev-
eryone stopped to listen to the
news. There were no evident signs THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
of the weekend mobilization and
Friday, May 26, 1967-17
no more uniforms in evidence on
the streets than normally.
STATE DEPT. WARNS
- Wondering about
U. S. State Department spokes-
investments as a
man Robert McCloskey, at a press
conference reported that because
possible next step
of the gravity of the situation, the
in your family's
estimated 13,500 American citizens
in Israel, in addition to 4,250 in
financial planning?
the Jerusalem area (Jordan and
$150 to begin...then $25.a month
Israel) were being advised to
will start you on a systematic in-
leave. This pertained to persons
vestment program in the United
whose presence in Israel is "non-
Funds group of mutual funds.
Detroiters Respond to Crisis
force and torpedo boats were pa-
troling the gulf which leads to
Eilat.
Egypt reportedly stopped two
German skips that steamed up to
the gulf, but allowed them to pro-
ceed Wednesday night when it was
learned they were headed with
goods to Jordan, not Israel.
Coastal gun emplacements on the
heights of Sharm el Sheikh were
maintaining a watch for any ship-
ping that might challenge the block-
ade, termed by an Israeli Foreign
Ministry spokesman as equal to "an
armed attack." Reports said Iraqi
soldiers were moving into Syria
to bolster its armed forces along
the Israeli frontier.
From New York, in response to
Egypt's blockade moves, came the
notice from the National Maritime
Union President Joseph Curran
that if Egypt went ahead with its
plans, American seamen would boy
cott all U.S. ships bound for Egyp-
tian ports.
the White House, the secretary
of state and to members of
Congress. These messages have
gone over the signatures of in-
dividuals and organizations.
The response of our President
offers promise that our govern-
ment recognizes and will move
to counter provocative and beli-
gerent conduct.
Our community leadership is
remaining in close and constant
touch with the situation. We rec-
ognize the intense interest on the
part of many thousands of peo-
ple, and we shall do our utmost to
keep them informed as to how they
can be helpful.
Philanthropic and investment
support are, of course, essential,
and we urge that those who can
possibly do so to honor at once
their pledges to our Allied Jewish
Campaign and to purchase Israel
Bonds.
Beyond this, and recognizing
that the situation is fluid and sub-
The Nasser declaration closing ject almost to hourly changes,
the Straits of Tiran to Israeli ship- we urge—as of this writing—that
ping was regarded here with ex- Detroiters continue to express their
ceptional gravity. Maariv, t h e views by telegram to the Presi-
country's largest newspaper, de- dent, the secretary of state and
members of the Senate and House
scribed it Tuesday as an "act of
war" which, it noted, left neither of Representatives.
The points that we regard as
Egypt or Israel a basis for with-
important and worthy of emphasis
drawal or negotiation.
are:
STATEMENT BY BRITAIN
In London, Prime Minister Har-
old Wilson said Wednesday that
the Strait of Tiran must be
regarded as an international
waterway. He affirmed that the
declaration to this effect made by
the British delegate to the United
Nations General Assembly in March
1957 "remains the view and policy
1. The United States should
quickly and publicly reaffirm re-
peated undertakings and commit-
ments to protect the territorial
integrity of Israel.
2. The views expressed by
the President with respect to
the rights of free pasgage of the
Straits of Tiran and the Gulf of
Aqaba are in accord with the
aim of maintaining peace and
should be supported. It is our
hope that if necessary, the
United States will be ready to
implement this position.
3. Stability and security of the
frontiers must be protected against
incursions. It is important that
the victims of aggression not be
confused with the aggressors.
Earlier, on behalf of the organ-
izations affiliated with the Jewish
Community Council, Dr. Samuel
Krohn, president, sent a telegram
to President Johnson and com-
essential." Those anticipating travel
to Israel were advised by the Unit-
ed States government to cancel
plans. The United States also urged
the departure of 2,650 Americans
from Egypt, 925 from Syria, 830
from Jordan. Persons planning
travel to those countries or Israel
were urged to avoid the region.
Up until Nasser's announcement
that Egypt would bar the Straits
of Tiran, Prime Minister Eshkol,
speaking not only as premier but
also as Isarel's minister of de-
fense, proposed that Israel and
Egypt carry out "reciprocal reduc-
tions" of their troop concentrations
on each other's borders.
Eshkol told a tense Parliament
(Continued on Page 18)
municated with the secretary of
state and members of Congress
from the Detroit area.
Dr. Krohn's message said "The
organizations affiliated with our
council join in respectfully urging
maximum effort by our govern-
ment to maintain stability and
security of frontiers in the Middle
East. Terrorist attacks and war
threats by Arab leaders pose a
major danger which in our estima-
tion should be countered by firm
assurances that the United States
will act within a commitment to
protect Israel's territory integrity."
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