Defense Minister Gen. Moshe Dayan warned Egypt in the Knesset (Parliament) today that it could expect massive Israeli strikes if it continued to violate the cease-fire along the Suez Canal. Gen. Dayan said that even though Egypt may be growing stronger militarily, it is still vulnerable and Israel is getting proportionately stronger.
The Defense Minister appeared in the Knesset on behalf of the Government to reply to two agenda motions presented by Haim Landau of Gahal (Herut-Liberal alignment) and Shmuel Tamir of the Free Center faction. Both demanded stronger measures against demonstrations on the West Bank and “sharp, effective reaction” to the Egyptian artillery attack across the Suez Canal last Saturday. Mr. Tamir charged that the Government was at fault in the West Bank unrest because it allegedly “let it be known that most of the West Bank would be returned to Jordan.” He and Mr. Landau urged large scale Israeli settlement of the occupied areas and Mr. Tamir demanded that Israel declare the present cease-fire lines to be its permanent boundaries.
Gen. Dayan said that reports of unrest on the West Bank had been exaggerated. He said the instigators were a few fanatics and the majority of the West Bank population and their leaders want no part of them. He also said no aggression across the cease-fire lines and no demonstrations in the occupied territories could force the Government into agreements under conditions it is not prepared to accept. The two motions were passed on for discussion by the Knesset foreign affairs and security committee.
Gen. Dayan also informed the Knesset that housing for 100 Jewish settlers in Hebron was being built inside the military government compound in that West Bank town. He said the buildings would be temporary at first and would be leased to the Jewish settlers by the Housing Ministry. The settlers, all Orthodox Jews, went to Hebron last Passover and refused to leave. They were originally quartered at a hotel but were ordered to move into the government compound several months ago.
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