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Armistice Body to Discuss Alleged Expulsion of Beduin by Israel

October 21, 1959
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The Jordan-Israel Mixed Armistice Commission will hold an emergency session Thursday to discuss a Jordanian complaint that Israel recently allegedly expelled more than 100 Beduin from the Negev into Jordan.

The Commission held a brief formal session last night but the results of a United Nations investigations were not yet available. Israel sources denied that any Israel Beduin have been expelled to Jordan.

The United Arab Republic two weeks ago lodged a similar complaint with the Israel-Egyptian Mixed Armistice Commission after a clash between a group of Beduin and an Israel Army patrol investigating the murder of an Israel officer near the Egyptian border.

It was indicated here that the Beduin involved were the several thousand nomads, living most of the time in Egypt or Jordan, who often cross into the Negev with herds grazing in Arab territory.

Israel normally does not interfere but there was reported reason to believe that some of the Beduin have been trained by Egyptian intelligence and have conducted sabotage and murder in Israel. Israel authorities therefore decided to make these Beduin unwelcome.

The French Government has given Israel assurances that the decision of the Renault company to end car assembly operations in Israel will not affect Franco-Israel friendship, it was learned today.

The reassurance was given when Mordechai Shneerson, Israel Charge d’Affaires in Paris, handed to Maurice Coure de Murville, the French foreign minister, a note explaining Israel’s views that the Renault action may influence other foreign companies to bow to the Arab League boycott against Israel.

Renault officials contended again today that high production costs and high Israel taxes made Renault participation in the Haifa assembly plant of the Israel Kaiser-Fraser company uneconomic and that this was the major factor for the decision.

Gen. Moshe Dayan, former Army Chief of Staff, declared last night that Israelis must not be influenced by the Renault cancellation. Speaking as a candidate for a seat in the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, Mr. Dayan said that France was a friend which helped Israel in its darkest hours and such friendships must be carefully cultivated.

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