Israel Premier David Ben Gurion warned King Hussein of Jordan today that any attempt by Jordan to attack Israel “would be met appropriately. “He sounded this warning after the Jordan radio announced that the King had dismissed Britain’s General John Glubb–the famed Glubb Pasha–as commander of Jordan’s Arab Legion because he had defied a royal demand to reorganize the Arab Legion “to meet the danger” of Israel.
At the same time, Israel warned Syria-today that if the Syrians do not cease firing on Israel fishing boats at Lake Tiberias and do not return a captured Israel boat together with four wounded Israelis, then Israel would have no other choice but to silence the fire itself and rescue the wounded.
The warning to Jordan was voiced by the Israel Premier at a meeting of young Mapar members at Kfar Vitkin. The warning to Syria was delivered by Israel’s foreign Office through the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization. An Israel spokesman said that the boat fired upon today by the Syrians was on a routine patrol at the northern edge and was grounded at dawn. A second boat went to its rescue at nine o’clock in the morning and was attacked by Syrians who directed their fire on the grounded boat as well. Four policemen were wounded, whereupon the Syrians crossed the border and dragged the wounded policemen into Syrian territory Later, they returned the bodies of two of the men.
The entire Israel press, commenting on the ejection of Glubb Pasha from Jordan, expressed the opinion that the situation on the Jordan-Israel border will become worse. The papers quoted from the Jordan radio broadcast a sentence to the effect that in the face of increasing rumors of an impending war with Israel, King Hussein repeated his demands for reorganizing the Jordan army, but instead Glubb insisted that many young Arab officers be dismissed.”
The bulk of the Cabinet is meeting today was devoted to a discussion of Israel’s position in reference to the Glubb Pasha affair and the forthcoming visit of British Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd to Israel. Meanwhile, the UN Truce Supervision Organization revealed that its chief, Maj Gen E. L. M. Burns, is leaving for Cairo Tuesday to attempt to obtain a cessation of Egyptian firing on Israel patrols and vehicles moving inside Israel territory in the vicinity of Egyptian frontiers.
Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett had urged Gen. Burns to take some action on this matter. He is also known to have protested to Gen. Burns that the Egyptians had stationed more troops in the Nitzana-El Auja area than allowed under the recent agreement worked out by Gen. Burns. This matter is also expected to have a prominent place in the talks between Gen. Burns and the Egyptians.
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