Chartered Planes Bring Jewish Refugees from Libya to Rome; Met by J.d.c

Three chartered airplanes arrived here early today and last night, and three more flights are due tonight, all bringing Jewish refugees from Libya. The three flights terminating here at dawn brought 233 men, women and children. According to those who have already come in there were in Libya, before the exodus began, between 5,000 and 6,000 Jews.

The newcomers were met by representatives of the Joint Distribution Committee, United Hias Service and the Union of Italian Jewish Communities. They came aboard two planes chartered from Alitalia, the Italian air line, and one leased from the Libyan air line. Through the intervention of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, the Italian Government has granted the refugees visas permitting them to stay in Italy for periods ranging between two months and three months.

Of the Jews who arrived thus far today, 175 accepted accommodations in a transit camp near this city provided by the Italian Ministry of the Interior, while 58 said they can make their own arrangements for living quarters. The representatives of the Jewish organizations who met the refugees said it was still too early to predict the type or extent of the assistance that might be needed to aid the Libyan Jewish refugees.

The refugees reported that all of the 200 Jews in Benghazi had been interned in camps there as soon as the Israeli-Arab war broke out on June 5, while 1,000 other Jews were sent to camps at Tripoli. Tripoli Jews, they said, have been unable to leave their homes for the 28 days. They confirmed that 85 of the Jewish businesses in Libya were destroyed by fire. The Libyan authorities, however, they added, are now issuing travel documents to Jews, many of them entitling the Jews to return to Libya later. The refugees who came today were allowed to take with them only hand luggage and 50 pounds sterling ($140) in travelers checks.