Arabs Declare General Strike in Old Jerusalem; Incited by Radio from Jordan

A general strike in the Old Jerusalem section of this city virtually paralyzed all business in that area today, as Arab-owned shops and restaurants were closed and buses run by Arabs stayed off the streets. The strike had been called by a group calling itself the “Committee for the Defense of Arab Jerusalem,” and had been sparked by broadcasts over the Jordanian radio, beamed from Amman, encouraging actions against the unification of the city by Israel.

The action, as called for by Radio Amman, was linked to the fact that Nils-Goran Gussing, the personal United Nations representative for humanitarian issues sent by Secretary-General U Thant, arrived here last night to begin talks with the Israeli Foreign Ministry. He had come here from conversations on the Arab refugee problem with Jordanian officials.

Israeli authorities were alerted to the plans for a strike, after leaflets signed by the “Committee for the Defense of Arab Jerusalem” were found last night to have been distributed throughout former Old Jerusalem. The tone of the leaflets was considered as lacking incitement but of a nature summoning Arabs to civil resistance.

However, the Israeli authorities took no chances. Police and military surveillance was increased early this morning throughout the Old Jerusalem sections of the city, while helicopters flew overhead watching for possible trouble. No overt actions of any kind occurred up to this afternoon. Three young Arabs were arrested on charges that they were inciting shopkeepers to close their businesses.

In the view of the Israel Government, Mr. Gussing’s assignment concerns only the situation faced by the Arab civilian population in the occupied areas, and to see whether Israel observes the Geneva Convention on this score and others of a similar nature. Israel holds that Mr. Gussing has nothing to do with Jerusalem itself. The situation of the city of Jerusalem, according to Israel, is to be studied by another, special representative to be sent here by Secretary-General Thant, and the Government of Israel has already announced its willingness to accept such a U.N. representative. To date, however, Israel has not yet been informed about the identity of this new U.N. representative.

Arab infiltrators fired several shots last night at an automobile carrying Israelis near Kfar Rupin, in the Beisan Valley. The car was hit in several places, but none of the occupants was injured. Footprints of three men were found nearby, leading from and back to the Jordanian border.