Ben Gurion: Death Penalty for Terrorists; Not in Russia’s Interest to Destroy Israel

Israel’s former Premier David Ben Gurion urged the death penalty for Arab terrorists who attack civilians but said he wasn’t worried about massive Soviet arms aid to Egypt. Mr. Ben Gurion expressed his views in an interview published in the weekly newspaper “The People” here. He said by hanging captured terrorists the Israel government would “frighten potential killers by the threat of death.” Referring to Soviet military supplies to Egypt. Mr. Ben Gurion said, “It is not in the interests of Russia to destroy Israel. If Israel were destroyed, the Arabs would no longer have any need of the Russians.” The Israeli elder statesman said he could not foresee when peace would come to the Middle East. He said, “If I could do so, I would urge our government to return a large part of the territory which we conquered in the Six-Day War.” Mr. Ben Gurion said he believed “there is a growing opposition to Nasser’s regime from the intelligentsia and from Egypt’s foreign educated students. They realize that the destruction of Israel cannot solve anything for their own country.”