WHO HAS ITS
11/-\fit'—
stiter s '
*R10111C11
ai
New Italian Book
Implicates Israel
GIFT-WORLD
Rome (JTA) — A book re-
cently released in Italy
implicates Israel in the
mysterious crash of an
Italian domestic passenger
plane in 1980 in which 81
people lost their lives.
Israeli officials have de-
nounced the findings of The
Fifth Scenario, by jour-
nalists Claudio Gatti and
Gail Hammer, as
"ridiculous." And Italian
journalists have pointed out
that the new explanation for
the crash — a misfired
Israeli fighter jet — is full of
holes.
The June 27, 1980, crash of
an Itavia. Airlines DC9 into
the Mediterranean Sea on a
flight from Bologna to
Palermo, Sicily, has remain-
ed one of the great mysteries
of Italy's postwar period.
Examination of wreckage
recovered from the seabed,
near the island of Ustica,
northwest of Sicily, in-
dicated that the plane was
probably either destroyed by
a bomb or — more likely —
shot down by a missile.
Despite nearly 14 years of
investigation, however, it
has never been established
who placed the bomb or who
fired the missile, whichever
it was, or why it occurred at
all, although it is assumed
that the missile would have
been fired in error.
Various theories have
pointed a finger at Libya,
France, Italy or the United
States, with the hypothesis
that the Itavia plane was
either hit by a missile that
went astray during a train-
ing exercise, or that it got
caught in some other type of
cross fire.
There have been many ac-
cusations of cover-up.
According to the theory
propounded in The Fifth
Scenario, Israel — under
direct orders of then Prime
Minister Menachem Begin
— sent two Phantom jets,
along with support planes, to
intercept a French cargo
plane that was transporting
enriched uranium from
France to Iraq for its nuclear
reactor.
The fighter jets, the theory
states, mistook the Itavia
DC9 for the plane carrying
the uranium and shot it
down.
According to the book, the
Israelis had learned that two
shipments of uranium would
be made: one on June 25 and
the other June 27. The book
Inside Crosswinds Mall
Orchard Lake at Lone Pine
(810) 932-3377
We Carry a Full Line of
Chagall Mezuzahs & Candlesticks
Also Mezuzahs, Torahs and
Tallith By Agam
THE CHAGALL CANDLESTICKS
ESTHER'S HAS IT ALL!
Complimentary gift-wrapping. We ship worldwide.
Hours: Sun. 10:30-5:30; Mon., Tues. 9:30-6:00; Wed. 9:30-7!00;
Thurs. 9:30-8:00; Fri. 9:30-2:30; Closed Saturday
N I T ls l I
aFI
~ IN
Of
1994 J30
4 YEAR
60,000 MILE
WARRANTY
Air, stereo/cass., cruise, ABS, dual
air bags, tilt, pw, pl, alloys, alarm,
4 dr., more
1994 G20
Automatic, air, stereo/cass.,
cruise, ABS, dual air bags, tilt, pw,
pl, alloys, alarm, 4 dr., more.
(A) I NFINITI
THE DE TRO I T J EWIS H NEWS
INFINITI OF FARMINGTON HILLS IS RANKED NUMBER 2
NATIONALLY FOR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN SALES & SERVICE
44
FREE SERVICE LOANER, FREE PICK UP AND DELIVERY
Of Farmington Hills
OPEN SATURDAYS, SALES AND SERVICE
24355 HAGGERTY ROAD • (810) 471.2220 • BETWEEN 10 MILE & GRAND RIVER
•36 month closed end lease. J30 requires $1500 down. Total pymts. $14,364. G20 requires $2000 down. Total pymts. $7164. Lessee responsible for 1st mo.
pmt., doc. fee, title and license due at delivery. Payment plus applicable taxes. 15,000 miles per yr. 10t per mile exceas.Lessee has option but is not obligat-
ed to buy at lease end. Lease subject to credit approval & availability. Excludes prior sales and leases. Standard guaranteed auto protection included.
Advertising in The Jewish News Gets Results
Place Your Ad Today. Call 354-6060
says the June 25 shipment
from Marseilles took place
without incident.
The French plane that was
supposed to leave on June 27
did not take off, according to
The Fifth Scenario.
Therefore, the book claims,
the Israelis fired at a plane
in the anticipated air coor-
dinates, only to down • in
error the Italian passenger
jet, which had taken off two
hours late.
The book claims it is this
tragedy that prompted Mr.
Begin to suffer a heart at-
tack and collapse in the
Knesset on June 30 and that
led to the start of a mental
collapse that forced him out
of politics.
According to the book, op-
position to Mr. Begin's plan
to shoot down the French
The book claims
this tragedy
prompted
Mr. Begin's
heart attack.
plane may have led to
Defense Minister Ezer
Weizman's resignation a
month before the tragedy.
The book says Israeli Col.
Ran Goren, head of the
Israeli air force's operational
department, was removed
from his position as punish-
ment and sent to the United
States, ostensibly to take
part in a study course.
Col. Goren has denied the
claim in an interview with
the Israeli daily Yediot
Achronot.
The spokesman for the
Israeli Embassy in Rome has
categorically denied the ac-
cusations.
Andrea Purgatori, writing
in the Milan daily Corriere
della Sera, said the book
contained much documenta-
tion and testimony but left
many questions unresolv-
ed. ❑
Today the professional Jew-
ish boxer is all but extinct in
this country, but the big city
ghettos of past decades pro-
duced many Jewish cham-
pions who learned to box to
defend themselves against
street gangs. Among them
were Abe Attell, Benny
Leonard, Ruby Goldstein
and Barney Ross.