Prime Minister David Ben Gurion acted promptly today to fix responsibility for a misleading broadcast last night on the official Government radio, which was interpreted inside and outside Israel as a call-up of all military reserves.
The Prime Minister named a special committee to investigate the “reserve call-up” announcement on the Kol Israel radio which caused widespread excitement throughout Israel, concern in many world capitals, and expressions of alarm in Syria and Jordan.
An Army spokesman explained that Israel’s reserve units have special code names by which they can be called up via radio or the press in the event of an emergency. A similar call-up announcement was broadcast eight years ago, but it was preceded by a specific code to indicate it was only a test.
The broadcast last night, however, was preceded by an unexplained statement to listeners to “remain at your wireless sets for a further important announcement.” There followed an announcement that three units were called up for today. The announcement was repeated several times with no explanations as to the reason for the call-up, leading to a widespread impression that a general mobilization was imminent.
The anxiety and confusion reached such a pitch that General Chaim Laskov, Chief of Staff, was contacted by special messenger at the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv, where he was attending a special concert in honor of Queen Elizabeth of Belgium. The streets were emptied and movie theaters played to half-empty halls.
It was not until an hour later that a second news bulletin, on Kol Israel, broadcast a correction with the announcement that “this is a routine call-up for the reserve service.” Meanwhile, foreign missions in Israel worked thro ugh the night to reassure their governments that the call-up was a “false alarm.”
ISRAEL GOVERNMENT APOLOGIZES TO KNESSET FOR THE CONFUSION
The Israel Government late last night apologized to the Knesset for the confusion created by the broadcast. Finance Minister Levi Eshkol made three statements to Knesset before midnight, explaining he had finally managed to contact the Prime Minister, who also was attending the concert in Tel Aviv.
The broadcast was taken seriously not only by the people of Israel but also by the Syrians and Jordanians. During the night, Syrian army movements were observed on Israel’s northern border, with units deployed on hills overlooking Israel. Jordan declared a state of alert on the border.
Early this morning, an Army spokesman said the Prime Minister met with the Army high command to discuss the call-up announcement. Initial investigation indicated that Gen, Laskov had ordered an announcement made on Kol Israel for a routine call-up of reserve units. By some mistake, it was explained, the text which was broadcast was not identical with the text which was scheduled to have been used.
Whatever the investigation uncovers in explanation of the mix-up, a forthcoming call-up of reserve units has been indicated in a recent statement by Col. A. Zorea, Chief of Operations. Col. Zorea said that, in view of the introduction of various new types of weapons, reserve units would have to be called up for training in the use of the new weapons. He also said, in an interview published by the Army weekly, that the new weapons would be displayed during the Independence Day parade in Tel Aviv next month.
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