Dayan Besieged by Parents Who Blame Him for Death of Their Sons in the Yom Kippur War

Former Defense Minister Moshe Dayan was rescued by security guards tonight from a building on the Bar Han University campus that was besieged by parents who blamed him for the deaths of their sons in the Yom Kippur War. About 200 demonstrators, mostly women, burst through police cordons around the campus and surrounded the building where Dayan was to have lectured on “The involvement of the major powers in Arab-Israeli relations.” They prevented his departure for more than two hours.

The demonstrators carried signs declaring, “We’ve had enough of Dayan.” Some yelled, “Put him on trial.” Dayan and his party left the building under escort by security guards after police dispersed the crowds around the building. Dayan, a national hero after Israel’s victory in the 1967 Six-Day War, was held responsible by many Israelis for Israel’s lack of preparedness when the Yom Kippur War broke out in Oct. 1973. The Agranat Committee investigating the conduct of that war cleared Dayan of responsibility but the aura of heroism that surrounded him faded.

ARAB STUDENTS HOOT YADLIN

In another incident last night, Education Minister Aharon Yadlin was hooted by Arab students during a lecture at Haifa University. His experience was similar to that of Premier Yitzhak Rabin who was heckled by Arab students in Nazareth several weeks ago. Yadlin was addressing the Haifa University student body which has a large proportion of Arabs on the subject of the problems of Arab intellectuals and university graduates.

When he criticized Arab students who supported Yasir Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization, he was greeted with catcalls from Arab youths which sparked counter shouting from Jewish students. Arab students rose and left the lecture hall in a body. Yadlin continued his lecture with only Jewish students present.