Eban Discloses New Cease-fire Violations; Says Laird Does Not Have All Pertinent Data

Foreign Minister Abba Eban said today that Egypt was continuing to violate the cease-fire agreement and that Israel lodged a complaint today with Maj. Gen. Ensio Siilasvuo, the chief of staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization. Mr. Eban told a press conference that five sites in the standstill zone, which had earlier been empty now revealed construction activities which is forbidden under the cease-fire agreement. The Foreign Minister said that yesterday “a site that had been empty on August 13 was seen to be occupied by missiles and auxiliary equipment.” The formal complaint to UNTSO stated that “Work was underway for the preparation of a number of missiles and auxiliary equipment.” Furthermore, the complaint stated, a site which on August 9 had been “empty and unfit for installation of missiles and auxiliary equipment was complete and ready for such installation.” The complaint also stated that at another site work had been started on August 13. All these activities, Israel’s complaint to UNTSO stated, are within the 32-mile standstill zone within which all buildups are prohibited under the cease-fire agreement. Mr. Eban stressed that the cease-fire with its standstill component was an essential element of the United States peace initiative. He said the cease-fire demanded the “strictest level of precision” regarding adherence to its terms.

His disclosure today of new violations came less than a week after Israel detected and reported the movement of SAM missiles by the Egyptians toward the Suez Canal and followed by a few days another complaint lodged with UNTSO that the Egyptians had fired across the Canal in the Ismailia area. “In the event of peace, what would Israel have to rely on?” Mr. Eban asked. “Signatures and commitments. But the violations of the standstill raise the larger issues of the validity and credence that can be given to Egyptian and Soviet signatures. The Six-Day War is a case history in fragility.” Asked by newsmen about United States Defense Secretary Melvin R. Laird’s television remarks yesterday that it would be impossible to determine who was right regarding the standstill violations, Mr. Eban appeared hurt by the suggestion that the U.S. might doubt Israel’s intelligence information. “If there is a suggestion of insincerity, then nothing can be more urgent than to clear it up. I do not regard Mr. Laird’s words as final because he is not yet in possession of the full facts. The supply of data on which we base our complaints is still going forward.” Mr. Laird had dismissed as “debate” whether the missiles movement reported last week “went on 12 hours before (the cease-fire) or 12 hours afterward.” Mr. Eban said “I cannot agree that it is immaterial whether missiles were moved up into the forbidden zone 12 hours before or 12 hours after.”

The Foreign Minister stated that it was intolerable to “have our security threatened by the moving of missiles and at the same time have our sincerity impugned,” in answer to a question by newsmen who asked about the U.S. claim that it has a more effective means of establishing cease-fire violations than Israel. Mr. Eban added, however, “If the United States turns out to be right, we shall pay full tribute.” He said that there is no crisis between Jerusalem and Washington. “There is a frank discussion,” he declared and added that it was important for Israel and the U.S. to “establish the facts together.” Mr. Eban hinted that it was not Israel that was holding up the appointment of a representative to the peace talks with Egypt and Jordan under the United Nations special peace emissary Gunnar V. Jarring. “Dr. Jarring is now trying to get a different approach from one of the parties as to the level of representation.” Mr. Eban stated. He said the Arabs would like to hold the talks in New York with their permanent representatives to the UN. He did not say which of the parties – Egypt or Jordan – Dr. Jarring was trying to convince of a different approach. Both Arab nations have indicated that their negotiators would be their UN ambassadors while Israel has been opting for talks on a ministerial level. It was reported over the weekend that Dr. Jarring also favored talks on the ministerial rather than on the ambassadorial level. “It has, for many years, been a principle of the Arabs.” Mr. Eban declared, “that never should an Arab foreign minister be in the same city with an Israeli foreign minister except in New York during General Assembly sessions,” to avoid any impression of any contact. Israel, on the other hand, he stressed, feels that the level of representation is of paramount importance.