The question of whether Israel might extradite the hijacker, Muhammed Atouni, if requested to do so by an Arab state, was raised at today’s Cabinet meeting. According to reports in Arab newspapers, the Lebanese government was considering asking Israel to extradite the 37-year-old Libyan who hijacked a Lebanese airliner to Lod Airport last Thursday.
The matter of a possible extradition request from Lebanon or Libya, countries with which Israel has no diplomatic relations, was brought up by the Minister for Religious Affairs, Dr. Zerach Warhaftig, during a security briefing by Defense Minister Moshe Dayan and Chief of Staff Gen. David Elazar. Their response was that no extradition request has been received by Israel from any country.
Dayan and Elazar also briefed the Cabinet on yesterday’s overflight of Sinai by two Egyptian fighter bombers. No details were released.
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