Hussein Seen 'Modifying' Position; Terrorism From Jordan Goes On
WASHINGTON (JTA) — On the
eve of his conference with Presi-
dent Johnson at the White House
Wednesday, Jordan's King Hussein
told the National Press Club that
a new Israeli-Arab relationship
could not be established until Is-
rael returned all occupied land,
restored Arab refugees to their
original homes and agreed to a
Jerusalem arrangement acceptable
to the Arabs.
Hussein suggested that the Israeli
position was softening. He said that
"despite the fact that the Israelis
have taken the official position that
they would do nothing until the
Arabs sat down with them around
a conference table, I am now hope-
ful that, just as we have modified
our position toward accepting a
political settlement, they will
modify their view on insisting on
direct negotiations."
Stating that he spoke with the
authority of all Arabs, Hussein
threatened that, unless Israel
makes terms acceptable to the
Arabs now, the struggle will con-
tinue "until either the Arab world
is subjugated by a Zionist empire
or until Arabs might eventually
destroy the State of Israel." He
said that, if Jew and Arab are to
co-exist, "the alien quality of Israel
must cease" and "Europe-origin
Israelis must leave the area." He
claimed it was "under the Arabs
that the Jews produced their great-
est literature," and called for "as-
similation" of Jews as "free citi-
zens" in the Arab society. He
warned that the Arab resistance
movement was already beginning
on the west bank of the Jordan
River "as in occupied Europe dur-
ing the war."
Speaking of a settlement, Hus-
sein likened Israel to a thief who
robs a bank and then asks to open
a lawful account with the loot. He
said the Arab position is for the
thief (Israel) "to give back the
money first and then we will talk
about opening an account."
Hinting that Jordan would turn
to Russia for arms unless the
United States provided equip-
ment, Hussein said Jordan
required military equipment
whether or not a peaceful settle-
ment developed. He apologized
for the Arab accusation that U.S.
military planes aided Israel to
win the Six-Day War. He said
"we regret that mistake. We
have admitted it to be a mis-
take." He stressed that he was
speaking not only for Jordan but
for all Arab peoples represented
at the recent Arab summit con-
ference at Khartoum.
Earlier Hussein indicated to
newsmen, following a lengthy
luncheon meeting with Secretary
of State Dean Rusk, that Jordan
would recognize the right of every
state to exist. It was phrased in
such manner as to suggest that
Israel was included. He revealed
that his visit might include nego-
tiations jointly for himself and the
Nasser regime. He stressed that
he was in "extremely close touch"
with the current position of Egypt
on Israel, and referred to the con-
ference at Khartoum as a "turning
point." He pointed out that the
Soviet Union was interested in
Jordanian efforts at she United
Nations.
Hussein declined to comment di-
rectly on his talks with Rusk. He
stated only that he was afforded
an opportunity to present the Arab
position. While referring repeatedly
to "chances for a just peace."
Hussein made clear that he thought
in terms of Israeli troop with-
drawal and negotiations through
intermediaries, rather than direct
negotiations.
Asked point-blank if Jordan
would enter direct talks with Israel,
Hussein said that "at the moment
and for the time being, the position
is that we will not." When asked
whether he was simultaneously
speaking for Nasser, Hussein said
that "at the moment we are very
close." He added "there are no
differences" between himself and
18 FrIday,November 10, 1967
—
The district attorney's office re-
ceived the dossiers of 32 El Fatah
suspects from the West Bank and
Jerusalem. They were charged
with complicity in the attempt to
bomb the Zion Cinema in down-
town Jerusalem last month and
with other attempts and acts of
sabotage against the Fast Hotel,
the Beersheba Railroad and the
Jerusalem power station. The dos-
siers of 15 more suspects will be
passed on to the district attorney
shortly.
While incidents of Arab ter-
rorism, inside Israel and on its
borders, especially the frontiers
of Jordan and Syria, Increased
in the last few days, Jerusalem
police announced the arrest of
Faisal Al Hussein', one of the
top leaders of the Palestine Lib-
eration Organization and a kins-
man of the former Grand Mufti,
who was notorious during World
War H as a collaborator of Adolf
Hitler. The man's father, the late
Abdul Kadar Al Hussein', was
also a staunch fighter against
Israel, who was killed during
the War for Independence in
1948.
Al Husseini's arrest brings to
more than 30 the number of
terrorists apprehended since the
unsuccessful effort to blow up the
cinema. The arrested man was a
major in the army of Syria, where
the PLO has been training many
of the saboteurs that have created,
or tried to wreak, havoc in Israel
for a long time. Meanwhile, the
following incidents have taken
place:
(1) At a prisoner-of-war camp
for Egyptians, in Israel, the Egyp-
tians staged a riot, suppressed
after efforts at pacification, by
Israel military police. One prisoner
of war was killed, two others were
wounded, and several Israeli mili-
tary policemen suffered slight in-
juries. The action took place Oct.
30, but was announced by the
Israeli Army spokesman only Sun-
day. Israel had promptly notified
the International Red Cross of the
incident.
(2) An artillery duel between
Israeli and Jordanian forces in the
early hours Sunday morning cli-
maxed a night of attempted sabo-
tage by Arab terrorists in and
around settlements of the Beisan
valley. In Kibutz Maoz Chaim,
which was struck by 10 shells, one
person was wounded and the cul-
tural house and clinic were wrecked.
According to the Army spokesman,
explosive charges were set off
shortly after 2 a.m. at a silo and
grain storage building at Kibutz
Sdeh Eliyahu.
Two hours later, Israeli forces
encountered a band of saboteurs
retreating toward the Jordan
River, south of Kfar Ruppin. Jor-
danian forces across the river
opened fire to cover the withdraw-
al, and were answered by Israeli
fire. Some time later, Jordanian
artillery commenced firing and
Israeli artillery replied. The foot-
prints of eight persons, presum-
ably saboteurs, were found at Sdeh
Eliyahu.
(3) Several Israeli soldiers were
slightly injured Sunday morning
when their patrol clashed with a
Syrian unit that had penetrated
into Israeli-held territory in the
Boutmiyeh area. The fire exchange
lasted several minutes. The Syrians
were intercepted west of the cease-
fire lines.
(4) An Arab terrorist was killed
by four Israeli youths after he
opened fire on them on an un-
paved road near Hebron, last
weekend. The youths, all from
Kibutz Iftah, were traveling on
the road when they were sud-
denly attacked by shots fired by
the terrorist. The youths, who
were armed, returned the fire
and were soon joined by rein-
forcements. A subsequent search
of the area found the body of
the Arab terrorist holding in his
hands a still hot Russian sub-
machinegun. He also had four
unused magazines.
Israeli police arrested Sunday
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS several • Arab youngsters in the
Nasser. He said the Arab case was
"an extremely reasonable one"
and would gain acceptance. While
he could not discuss details of the
Arab willingness to compromise,
he said he could state that "we
are willing to give a great deal."
Hussein said the Israel problem
was "born" in the United Nations
and that that is where discussions
would be held and—he hoped—a
solution acceptable to the Arabs
would be found.
An unusually large crowd
greeted the Jordanian king as he
came to the State Department
for his noon-hour meeting with
Rusk. The greeter s, in the
department building diplomatic
lobby, included diplomats and
departmental desk officers, as
well as secretaries and other
government employes.
United States officials said after
the Hussein-Rusk talks that the
administration was encouraged by
Hussein's "moderation."
In Jerusalem, a shocking record
of destruction and desecration of
Jewish holy places in and around
Old Jerusalem during 19 years of
Jordanian rule was documented in
the report of an inter-ministerial
committee that was appointed
after the Six-Day War to determine
the state of Jewish shrines in
Jordan-held territory.
The findings of the committee
were summarized by Zerach War-
haftig, „minister of religious af-
fairs, at a press conference here.
As examples of the wanton disre-
gard of the religious rights of
others, Warhaftig noted the de-
struction of all but two of the 58
synagogues in the Jewish quarter
of the Old City and the almost
total destruction of the Jewish
cemetery on the Mount of Olives
which has been in continuous use
for more than 2,000 years.
The cemetery was one of the
Jewish holy places to which access
was promised by the Jordanians
in the 1949 armistice agreements
although the promise was never
observed. Tombstones were car-
ried away for purposes ranging
from fortifying mortar positions
to building lavatories, and the re-
port says, documentary evidence
and eye witnesses "make it clear
beyond doubt that the desecration
of the cemetery was carried out
by Jordanian authorities for offi-
cial purposes."
The Jordanian government.
according to the report, had
placed a special guard at the
cemetery, but only to prevent
tombstones from being pilfered
by private persons. Their use
was authorized for building mili-
tary camps, fortifications, path-
ways and other installations and
the walls of the building that
housed the army commanders.
Part of the road to the Inter-
continental Hotel was paved with
tombstones, the report said. And
the Jordanians never bothered
to remove the remains of the
dead. In the Old City of Jerusa-
lem, the report went on, only
the synagogue of the Cabad
Hasidim and the Torat Chayim
yeshiva were left standing.
Dr. Warhaftig said that there
was only one known instance of
a clergyman protesting against the
desecration and he was told by
the Jordanian authorities to mind
his own business. Moslem digni-
taries whom Dr. Warhaftig ques-
tion-ed about the outrages dis-
claimed all knowledge.
Beirut newspapers reported that
Arab sabotage and terrorist groups
were consolidated recently under
the command of Ahmed Shukairy's
Palestine Liberation Front. They
will be known henceforth as
"Jataf." The new organization
supercedes El Fatah and other
terrorist bands.
The Jerusalem district attorney
said Wednesday he would announce
a decision soon on whether mem-
bers of El Fatah terrorist gangs
rounded up by police in recent
weeks will be tried by a military
or a civilian court.
.
Gaza Strip suspected of throwing
hand grenades last week in pro-
test against the 50th anniversary
celebration of the Balfour Declara-
tion. Four Gaza residents were
injured in the explosions.
Another expression of Arab re-
sentment was an almost totati boy-
cott of Gaza schools. The teachers
arrived on schedule but, when very
few pupils appeared, the Israeli
authorities cancelled all classes.
Schools in Arab refugee camps
functioned normally. Strengthened
army and police units patrolled the
streets of Gaza, Khan Yunis and
other Gaza Strip townships, but
there were no incidents other than
the grenade tossings.
Defense Minister Moshe Dayan
and Chief of Staff Yitzhak Rabin
met Sunday with Northern front
and local Israeli commanders in
the Beisan Valley, site of recent
infiltrations from Jordan, to dis-
cuss ways to intensify Israel's
counter-saboteur operations.
It was learned at the same time
that Jordan has been 'strengthen-
ing troop positions in the Jordanian
section across the Jordan River
from the Beisan Valley. Israeli
officials speculated that either the
Jordanians feared some Israeli
reaction to the sabotage raids or
that they had decided to take firm
action against use of Jordanian
territory as bases for raids across
the river into Israeli-held territory.
The defense minister and Gen.
Rabin were accompanied by senior
staff officials.
(President Shazar of Israel paid
a visit to the Golan Heights Tues-
day accompinied by Gen. Moshe
Dayan, Israel's defense minister,
and Gen. Yitzhak Rabin, chief of
staff.
(The president, entertained at a
lunch in the former Syrian officers
club in Kuneitra, told the Israeli
army officers that this was not his
first visit to the Golan Heights
area. He said that, in 1911, Berl
Katznelson, the Zionist pioneer,
and he crossed Lake Tiberias and
ascended the heights area in
search of sites for Jewish settle-
ments.)
High government circles
warned Tuesday that Jordan will
have to bear the consequences
of continued depredations by El
Fatah terrorist gangs using her
territory as a base for their in-
cursions into Israel. The PLO
has repeatedly said it was con-
tinuing its "war of liberation"
against Israel. In that case, ac-
cording to authoritative sources,
any country supporting the guer-
rillas must be regarded as par-
ticipating in this war regardless
of moderate speeches by their
leaders abroad.
It was reported Wednesday that
if West Bank families have to wait
until next year for reunions with
their relatives who fled into Jor-
dan during the Six-Day War, the
responsibility rests on Jordanian
authorities who, up to now, have
refused to meet directly with
Israeli authorities on the matter.
Several hundred West Back and
East Jerusalem families have filed
applications for the repatriation of
relatives in Jordan under an
Israeli plan permitting the reuni-
fication of families.
Several hundred Welt Bank and
East Jerusalem families have filed
applications for the repatriation of
relatives in Jordan under an Is-
raeli plan permitting the reunifi-
cation of families.
* • *
Israel Amnesty Makes
Innocence a Problem
JERUSALEM — A general am-
nesty granted in Israel directly
after the Six-Day War has created
a bizarre situation in which scores
of business firms and individuals
are trying to prove that they
acquired large shares of their tax-
able assets by illegal means.
The amnesty protects them from
heavy fines and possible imprison-
ment if the alleged illegalities were
committed prior to June 5, 1967,
but they only pay a flat 25 per cent
tax on such gains instead of the
50 to 85 per cent tax levied on
legally acquired income. In these
circumstances, Israelis are engag-
ing lawyers to- prove them guilty
of violations of the law, while the
government, in its own interests,
is trying to prove they were inno-
cent.
"Greater Israel" Implications...
Inevitability of Area Retention
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
RAMALLAH, Israel, former Jor-
dan—It is from this spot that one
must ponder over the predictions
made by noted dereographers that
Greater Jerusalem will, in the
year 2,000, have a population of
850,000.
The figures are well worth
studying for an understanding of
the true state of affairs vis-a-vis
the discussions regarding the fu-
ture of areas now held by Israel.
The New City of Jerusalem
which alone was in Israel's hands
prior to June 5, has a population
of 150,000. In the Old or East Jeru-
salem which was held by Jordan
for more than 19 years, there are
66,000 Arabs. The neighboring
cities to Jerusalem and their popu-
lations are: Nablus (ancient Bibli-
cal Shkhem), 44,000; Hebron,
34,000; Ramallah, 25,000, and
Bethlehem, whose population has
not been made known but which
certainly has a population of more
than 12,000. This presently approx-
imates a total of 325,000.
Since the Old City of Jerusalem,
the citadel of King David, can no
longer be spoken of as separate
from the former New Jerusalem,
and - because of the proximity of
the other communities to Jerusa-
lem, one wonders whether the
Greater Jerusalem will not in fact
include all the mentioned areas
30 years from now.
Many elements relate to this is-
sue. Prime Minister Levi Eshkol's
statement of a few days ago about
"Greater Israel" attests to the de-
termined will of the Israelis and
their government not to yield any
of the major territories.
There is more to the issue than
just this. On the very first day of
Israel's triumph over Jordan, on
June 6, Hebron capitulated with-
out a shot. The Jewish community
in Hebron was destroyed in 1929,
the year of the massacres by
Arabs of all the students in the
Hebron Yeshiva, the theological
schooL Fearing vengeance, every
Hebron building hoisted a white
flag on June 6 and all its residents
were spared and are now doing a
thriving business with Israelis.
There was a similar situation in
Bethlehem. The white flags ap-
peared on all buildings on June 6
and there was not a shot in this
city that is so holy to Christians
as the birthplace of Jesus.
Now it is contended that Beth-
lehem has no way out but to ask
to be included as a part of Great-
er Jerusalem. If Bethlehem ever
were to be abandoned by Israel
the city would be separated from
the Holy City of Peace—Jerusa-
lem—and tourism would be ruined.
Christian tourists link the two,
Jerusalem with Bethlehem, and
their proximity — it's a 15-minute
ride between the two cities—makes
the two spots inseparably valuable
as a tourists' religious haven.
The Status of territories held by
Israel is speculative. Peace it-
self is remote and speculative.
But the question of a Greater
Jerusalem appears to be nearing
clarification. There seems to be a
certainty that Israel will become
firmly established in a closely
linked expanded Jerusalem long
before the contending parties be-
gin to debate the status of areas
acquired by Israel in the Six-Day
War. •