Israel May Have More Than Aerial Photographs to Prove Missile Movements

A military spokesman hinted today that Israel had evidence other than aerial photographs to back up its charges that the Egyptians have violated the cease-fire by installing Soviet SAM missiles in the 32-mile wide standstill zone. The spokesman said that he could not disclose the nature of the evidence for security reasons. He denounced Soviet claims that Israel’s charges were an “hallucination.” “The Soviet claim is untrue and amounts to a deliberate misrepresentation of the facts,” the Israeli said. Meanwhile, Israeli newspapers today urged Washington to make Egypt observe the provisions of the 90-day cease-fire. While most newspapers were critical of Washington’s refusal to support Israel’s charges of Egyptian violations of the cease-fire, the independent daily Haaretz urged the government to “look forward, not backward” and accepted as American policy Defense Secretary Melvin R. Laird’s statement that America would try to maintain the arms balance in the Mideast during the 90-day truce period. The National Religious Party newspaper Hatsofeh said the American stand on the violations had “seriously undermined Israel’s faith in the U.S.” It called for an American reaction that would “ease” Israel’s anxiety. The English language Jerusalem Post, which sometimes reflects official policy, said that Israeli faith in American policy had been undermined by “The American refusal to accept the inconvenient facts of the Egyptian breach of the standstill cease-fire.” The paper declared, “If the Americans place serious hopes in their initiative they will have to act fast and in the open. Secret promises and secret warnings are losing their value on the diplomatic market.”