•.,•••••••."
•
. .
Egyptian Intelligence Activity on Increase;
Israel Charges SAM Sites Being Prepared
(Continued from Page 1)
patrol boat had not intended to
sink the Egyptian craft but had to
open fire after it ignored warning
shots.
Sources here said hashish was
found on the bodies. They said
the presence of the drug may
have been a cover for an intel-
ligence mission or the Egyptian
agents may have been traffick-
Ing in narcotics as a sideline. An
observer said the agents may
have been paid for their work in
hashish instead of cash. One
source noted that smuggler boats
have been used in the past to
transport Egyptian spies into Is-
rael-held territory.
Military sources have reported a
great increase in Egyptian intel-
ligence activity during the past
month. The Egyptians seem to be
seeking information about Israeli
positions on the east bank of the
Suez Canal and the roads leading
to them which have been greatly
improved since the cease fire
began.
Some sources linked the reports
of intelligence activities with re-
ports of large-scale Egyptian am-
phibious maneuvers under the su-
pervision of high-ranking Soviet
military officers.
There have also been reports
from foreign sources of heavy de-
liveries of amphibious craft and
equipment to Egypt from Russia.
These reports have given rise to
speculation that the Egyptians and
Russians may be planning a push
across the Suez Canal and the Gulf
of Suez after the cease fire ends.
The Egyptians have resumed the
construction and preparation of
SAM missile sites in the Suez
standstill cease-fire zone. Israel
charged in a complaint filed Mon-
day with the United Nations Truce
Supervision Organization (UNTSO ).
It was Israel's first complaint
of missile violations since the
cease fire was extended Nov. 5.
The complaint was based on in-
telligence available to the Israel
Army on Nov. 27.
Three previous complaints of
cease fire violations this month
were against overflights of Israeli
positions by Egyptian combat air-
craft. When the truce was extend-
ed for another 90-day period after
its expiration Nov. 5, Israeli mili-
tary officials observed that Egypt
had saturated the cease-fire zone
with missiles and any further in-
stallations would be sheer waste
on their part.
Officials declined to confirm a
press report that Israeli antiair-
craft artillery opened warning-fire
when Soviet-made Egyptian Sukhoi
7 planes overflew Israeli positions
in the northern sector of the Suez
Canal Nov. 23. But officials said
the report was "not to be ruled
out."
Israelis are under strict orders
to wait for firing permission be-
fore shooting, even if under attack.
There must be confirmation thai
there is actual enemy action, and
not just stray bullets.
The newspaper Maariv reported
that Premier Golda Meir is con-
sulting with cabinet ministers and
senior officials on the possibility
that the Egyptian overflights were
a deliberate provocation instigated
by the Soviets, designed to get
Israel to fire first.
The paper said that was one of
the subjects discussed Nov. 25 by
Foreign Minister Abbe Eban and
United States Ambassador Wal-
worth .1. Barbour. The Jewish
Telegraphic Agency could not ob-
tain confirmation of - this from
official sources.
U. S. State Department sources
acknowledged that high-level U. S.
reconnalsance flights over the Suez
Canal zone to detect truce viola-
411--friday,-Degmeltar 4, 1970
. TIM 001101E JEWISH .1101115
Lions by Egypt were suspended
about three weeks ago after having
been conducted continuously since
the early part of August.
The sources would not say why
the flights were suspended but in-
dicated that they could be resumed
if developments warranted them.
Jerusalem has denied an Egyp-
tian charge of a "warlike" military
buildup by Israel along the Suez
Canal. A military spokesman said
that the Egyptians may have mis-
taken routine army maneuvers on
the Israeli side for a buildup.
An apparent hardening of Egyp-
tian terms for continuation of the
Suez cease fire was viewed in
diplomatic quarters here Tuesday
as part of the psychological war-
fare between Egypt and Israel pre-
liminary to resumption of the Jar-
ring talks.
President Anwar Sadat of
Egypt told troops in the canal
zone Monday that he would not
accept another extension of the
cease fire except on one condi-
tion,' "when we have a time-
table for withdrawal" of Israeli
forces from the occupied Arab
territories.
His reported remarks represent-
ed an escalation of Egyptian de-
mands. In effect, Egypt was de-
manding that Israel yield on a
major point before the peace talks
resume. President Sadat told his
troops that a further cease fire ex-
tension without an Israeli with-
drawal pledge was unacceptable
"because the matter will be turn-
ed into a series of delays and
procrastinations which could go on
for another 20 years."
But observers here tended to dis-
count the adamancy of the new
Egyptian position. They claimed
that both sides were stating their
maximum conditions to leave
plenty of room for bargaining when
the Jarring talks actually resume.
Israel's defense minister Moshe
Dayan claimed Monday that while
Israel would enter the talks with-
out preconditions, it would never
give up its "essential interests." He
described those as Sharm el-
Sheikh, Jerusalem, the Golan
Heights and the Gaza Strip. But
most observers believe the Israelis
understand that they will have to
make concessions once serious
peace talks get under way.
They consider Israel's continued
absence from the Jarring talks
part of the same war of nerves.
Israel is trying to exact the best
possible conditions before return-
ing to the talks, but it is generally
believed that it will return and
that the talks will be resumed later
this month.
Premier Golda Meir said that "it
is almost certain we shall not be
able to get all the conditions we
demanded for the resumption of
the Jarring talks." But she ob-
served that "The Americans do
understand our security problems
and the economic difficulties which
are the result of the security bur-
den," explaining, "Not every year
does an American President ask
the Congress for $500,000,000 aid
for Israel."
Premier Meir, addressing a
gathering of long-time women
members of the Labor Party, con-
ceded that "we have differences of
opinion" with Washington, but
noted: "We have discussions with
an administration which wants Is-
rael existing and strong. The dis-
cussion is mainly on the interpre-
tation—what is needed for Israel
to be strong?"
File reasserted Israel's desire
for an indefinite cease fire and ob-
served that "Even now there are
Russian planes with Russian or
Egyptian pilots that fly over the
Israeli positions. I am not sure the
Egyptians would be able to hold
their fire till the end of this cease-
fire period ending Feb. 5."
Israel Galili, the influential min-
ister-without-portfolio and former
Hagana commander, said that
there were no obstacles to imme-
diate Israeli - Jordanian - Lebanese
negotiations under the auspices of
Dr. Jarring.
Galili said that while the two
Arab countries might postpone the
conclusion of the talks, there was
no justification for their postpon-
ing the opening of them. He said
Israel favored early resumption of
the Israeli - Jordanian - Egyptian
talks under Dr. Jarring, but "not
before Israel would try and get
the necessary conditions for the
resumption of talks."
Another note from Mrs. Meir to
President Nixon was delivered
Tuesday by Israeli Ambassador
Itzhak Rabin.
The note was said to contain the
views of the Israeli cabinet on re-
turning to the Jarring peace talks
without stating specific conditions.
Rabin delivered the message to the
State Department when he met
Tuesday afternoon with Assistant
Secretary of State for Near East-
ern Affairs Joseph J. Sisco. The
Israeli envoy returned to Wash-
ington Monday from Jerusalem,
where he had been summoned for
consultations last week.
Mrs. Meir is believed to have
communicated with President
Nixon several times since their
last meeting in Washington in
October. A dialogue between
American and Israeli officials has
been in progress ever since on the
resumption of the Jarring talks and
U. S. military and economic aid
to Israel.
Israel is expected to agree to
return to the talks following
meetings here later this month
between Defense Minister Moshe
Dayan and top administration
officials, and possibly with Presi-
dent Nixon.
Those meetings are expected to
determine what Israel can expect
in terms of future U. S. aid and
political support and will, in turn,-
influence the conditions the Israel
government will set for its return
to the peace negotiations.
Israel Is known to be seeking
several assurances from the U. S.
One is a continuation of military-
deliveries, preferably on a contrite-
tural basis, at least through 1971
to maintain the balance of forces
in the Middle East.
Another is a pledge from Wash-
ington to deter further Soviet en-
croachments in the region and to
support a continuation of the cease
fire even if the Jarring talks
should break down.
Israel also wants a clear assur-
ance from the U. S, that no pres-
sure will be brought to bear to
make territorial concessions to the
Arabs that it considers unaccept-
able for security reasons.
Specifically, Israeli diplomats
would like the U. S. to abandon
the Mid East peace map proposed
by Secretary of State William P.
Rogers in December 1969, which
would have Israel withdraw to its
pre-June 1967 boundaries with
only minor adjustments.
Only three days will separate
the U. S. visits of Jordanian King
H•risein and Dayan.
The stated purpose of Hussein's
visit with Mr. Nixon Tuesday
is to seek U.S. ba eking for
Israeli withdrawal from Arab ter-
ritories conquered in 1967.
Dayan is going with the bless-
ing of the Israeli government,
which altered its earlier position
against such activities by Dayan.
The reports of Gen. Dayan's plan-
ned high-level meetings in Wash-
ington indicated a change of mind
by the government on his activi-
ties while in the U. S. Previous
rumors that he would hold high-
level talks in Washington had been
denied by foreign ministry spokes-
men.
Premier Golda Meir, however,
told a meeting of Israeli editors
last Friday that she thought it
would be very desirable for the
defense minister to meet with
American administration officials
though she did not say which ones
or when such meetings would take
place.
Gen. Dayan said on a television
interview earlier that he would
visit Washington only if Mrs. Meir
asked him to.
Eban has reportedly dropped his
objections to political meetings by
Gen.- Dayan in the U. S.., provided
that the defense minister sticks to
terms of reference drafted by the
government here.
Dayan said Sunday night that he
would prefer a smaller Israel with
an assured Jewish majority to a
larger state with a big Arab popu-
lation that would threaten Jewish
numerical superiority. Addressing
a Labor Party meeting in connec-
tion with the infra-party elections
campaign, he apparently took pains
to make no remarks that might
run counter to government policy.
He did not urge unconditional re-
turn to the Jarring peace talks. He
said that if and when the govern-
ment decided that conditions war-
ranted resumption of the talks,
"We shall go to the talks without
pre-conditions." Gen. Dayan added
however that Israel would not com-
promise its "essential interests."
Hussein Seeking Arab Summit
to Discuss Palestine State
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Jordan's
King Hussein reportedly wants a
new Arab summit meeting "to ex-
change views about the subject
of a Palestinian state," according
to an interview published in the
Beirut newspaper An Nahar.
Israeli observers believe that
King Hussein now has the Pale-
stinian guerrillas in Jordan firmly
under control. They noted that the
guerrillas have come "hat-in-hand"
to meet with Jordan's new premier,
Wasfi el Tal, a man they have in
the past accused of being behind
the "massacre" of the Palestinian
commandos.
El Fatah leader Yassir Arafat
also turned up in Amman after
vowing he would not go there as
long as Tal beads the government.
A meeting of the Palestine
Liberation Organization that was
to have been held in Amman
Nov. 20 never took place, an in-
dication, Israelis say, that Arafat
was not able to force a merger
of all the guerrilla organizations
under his leadership.
The new contrite attitude of the
guerrillas indicates that they are
in a desperate position and must
negotiate terms with the Jordanian
government quickly to prevent
further deterioration, Israeli
sources said.
The various guerrilla bands have
suffered from desertions and huge
losses of arms and--ammunition.
They could not survive a further
decline either militarily or in terms
of morale.
They are prepared to admit,
therefore, that they were at least
partly responsible for recent
bloody clashes with Jordanian regu-
lars in the Jarash-Irbid area.
Guerrilla publications recently
have been emphasizing restraint
and self-discipline, Israelis noted.
King Hussein is also reportedly
anxious for a period of tranquility
to rehabilitate his regime which
was badly shaken in the Septem-
ber civil war. He is' seeking to re-
vive the 063,000,000' annual sub-
vention Jordan was receiving from
oil-rich Kuwait and. Libya until
it was cut off on the outbreak- of
the Civil War. . .
The' official Libyan newspaper
Athawra said that the fifth mem-
ber of the proposed Arab federa-
tion will be a government headed
by Arafat under the name "Pale-
stine." It apparentlY : be a
paper government without any
recognized land area.
The four states already com-
mitted to the federation are
Egypt, Libya, Sudan and Syria.
Cairo radio announced that
Syria's new government has been
Keeping their powder dry, as the saying used to go, an Israeli haUtrack and Sherman tanks dash accepted as a full member at the
at full speed across the occupied Meal desert during maneuvers. Egypt claims “doonsented" evidence request of Prime Minister Hafiz
that brad ts_mtgated In a msaalvelarIl0MP_ the Saes_ Canal, which Israel denies.
Assad.