Argentina Rejects Israel’s Note on Eichmann; Insists on His Return

The Argentine Government, in a formal rejection of Israel’s latest note on the capture of Nazi mass murderer Adolf Eichmann on Argentine territory last May, insisted today that Israel comply with Argentine demands for the return of Eichmann and punishment of those responsible for his seizure in violation of Argentine sovereignty.

The Argentine Government disclosed that on July 14 it had asked Israel Ambassador Aryeh Levavi to tell the Israel Government that Argentina was not satisfied with the July 4 Israel note. In that note, Israel again apologized for the violation of Argentine territory and quoted statements made during the Security Council debate on the Argentine complaint to support the contention that the Israel apology, plus adoption of the Security Council resolution criticizing Israel, should be considered “adequate reparation” and the issue closed.

The Argentine note today pointed out that the Israel July 4 letter had cited statements by the British, United States and French delegates in the Security Council debate to the effect that the Eichmann incident could be considered closed. However, the Argentine Government stressed today, before the Security Council voted on the resolution, the Argentine delegate, Dr. Mario Amadeo, had made a statement noting that the delegate opinions being voiced were personal and not binding on the parties to the dispute.

The Argentine note then cited the statements in the Council debate made by Arkady Sobolev of the Soviet Union, Sir Pierson Dixon of Britain and others which stressed the illegality of Eichmann’s seizure on Argentine territory. It complained that, despite the long interval of time since the Eichmann capture and United Nations consideration of the case, the Israel Government has not yet agreed to make the requested reparation.

DEMANDS EXPLANATION FROM ISRAEL HOW EICHMANN WAS KIDNAPED

Another complaint was that Israel had not officially explained how the kidnaping of Eichmann had been carried out. In effect, Argentina challenged the truth of the Israeli contention that the abduction had been done by “volunteers” and not by official Israel Government agents. In diplomatic terms, the note suggested that Eichmann’s abduction had been arranged with the connivance of the Israel Embassy in Buenos Aires and that the Nazi criminal had been removed from Argentina in an Israel El Al airliner which had brought a diplomatic mission to Argentina a few days earlier.

The Argentine note asserted also that the Argentine Government did not wish, without direct evidence, to formulate a hypothesis which would make the situation even worse by connecting the illegal action with the formal request by the Israel Embassy on May 16 for a clearance for the El Al airliner to depart with some passengers.

The Israel Embassy, said the note, had asked permission for certain persons to travel on the plane for “medical and humanitarian” reasons. The clear implication was that, under cover of this clearance, Eichmann had been placed on the airliner and flown out of Argentine jurisdiction.

The note added that in view of that situation, the Argentine Government did not find satisfactory the expressions of regret and other solutions proposed until the present by the Israel Government and it reserved the right to adopt such measures as it considered opportune.

The Israel Embassy said here tonight that it had asked permission for several persons to return to Israel on the airliner “on compassionate grounds.” The Embassy asserted, however, that for various reasons–either because of their medical condition or failure to have completed visa formalities–those persons were unable to board the plane for the flight to Israel.

The El A1 plane, a Brittani, had flown to Buenos Aires from Israel carrying an Israeli mission, headed by Minister without Portfolio Abba Eban, to attend ceremonies marking the 150th anniversary of the Argentine Revolution.