Begin Hints It May Take Long Time to Find Those Responsible for West Bank Bomb Attacks

Premier Menachem Begin hinted today that it might take Israeli authorities a long time to track down the perpetrators of Monday’s multiple bomb attacks against West Bank mayors and that he didn’t think Israel should be pressed on the matter.

Speaking at the 100th anniversary conference of the World ORT, Begin noted that the Italian government has yet to find the killers of former Premier Aldo Moro and the British have not found the assassins of lord Mountbatten. Therefore, he said, there was no cause to press Israel which would certainly do its utmost to arrest the perpetrators and try them in a court of law.

Begin said that Mayor Bassam Shako of Nablus, who lost both legs in the bombing and Mayor Karin Khallaf of Ramallah, who lost his left foot were inimical to Israel because of their nationalistic, pro-Palestine Liberation Organization views. But there was no justification for anyone to take the law into his own hands, he said. (See related stories P.3.)

Begin also told the international ORT delegates that Israel will never negotiate with the “genocidal. Nazi PLO” no matter who the European Economic Community (EEC) leaders decide at their conference in Venice next week. He cited the recent El Fatah resolution calling for the dissolution of Israel as proof that the PLO has not wavered from its basic intention to dismantle the Jewish State.

Meanwhile, Yossi Dayan, an aide to Rabbi Meir Kahane, leader of the ultra-nationalist. “Kach” movement, was arrested for questioning today. According to his attorney, he does not know what suspicions are harbored against him. Dayan has denied that Kach was implicated in the West Bank bombings but applauded them nevertheless. Kahane has been in administrative detention since last month.