Israel Army Chief of Staff Yigal Yadin met with Bedouin chieftains in the vicinity of Beersheba and was given the traditional ceremonial welcome accorded a military leader.
While the Arab leaders greeted the Israel commander, their mounted troopsfired volleys into the air and carried out a number of cavalry maneuvers. Sheikh Suleiman Hazail, representing all the chiefs, presented Brig. Yadin with an engraved silver sword.
The Sheikh also asked that Israel arm the loyal Bedouin tribes so that they would be able to protect themselves against the continuous raids of bandits from Transjordan territory. The Arab also asked for agricultural equipment for the Bedouins and for higher wages for Bedouins employed on government projects. The Israel commander replied that most of the requests would be filled shortly, adding that Israel “knew her friends and made her foes realize without much delays the effects of unfriendly acts.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
