The police investigation of the bombing of the Soviet Legation here Monday night was today extended to all parts of Israel and a number of Arabs were rounded up for questioning. Among them were members of the Anti-Communist League as well as Communist Arabs. The latter were detained as the police checked the possibility that they might have been involved in an attempt to bring about a break in diplomatic relations between Israel and the U.S.S.R.
Among the Jews arrested today were: I. Nadler, the only journalist to succeed in entering the Soviet legation immediately after the blast; a lawyer named Genemitai; an official of the Anti-Communist League named Brown; and an unnamed florist. Among the Arabs arrested were: a Dr. Dijani, a well known physician who lives in Rehovoth; and a Nazareth carpenter who is currently staying in a Tel Aviv hotel. Both of them were arrested when their names were found on lists of the Anti-Communist League.
A police expert, who yesterday was allowed to inspect the legation courtyard where the blast occurred, estimated that the bomb contained some six and one-half pounds of explosives.
Israeli newspapers today received anonymous letters, obviously in a childish scrawl, declaring that an organization of Jewish boys–“The Black Boot” had bombed the Soviet legation and would shortly treat the Czechoslovak legation in the same fashion. The notes said that the warnings were “no laughing matter.”
A local paper today stated that the Soviet Minister to Tel Aviv, Pavel Yershov, had said that the bombing “outrage is a result of the anti-Soviet incitement campaign started by the Israel Government.”
It was announced in Parliament today that a debate would be held next Monday on a Communist-Mapam motion calling for a vote of non-confidence in the Ben Gurion Government because of the bombing of the Russian legation.
A resolution expressing the Zionist movement’s “abhorrence” of such terrorist actions as the bombing of the legation was adopted at a meeting of the Jewish Agency executive today. The executive also sent its best wishes for a speedy recovery to the persons injured in the explosion.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
