Expulsion of All Arab Refugees from Jordan to Israeli-held West Bank is Anticipated

Israeli officials expressed the belief today that Jordan will act to virtually expel all West Bank refugees who fled to Jordan during the June war, now that Israel has agreed to permit the return of all refugees who wish to do so.

The Interior Ministry meanwhile announced that the first returnees were expected within a week and that every effort would be made to accelerate the processing of the questionnaires of the returnees. The first batch of questionnaires given to the International Red Cross totalled 10,000 and Israel will hand over an additional 30,000 blanks to the Red Cross in two or three days. Since only adults need to fill out the questionnaires, the 40,000 forms should suffice for about 100,000 returning refugees, including children, it was estimated.

International Red Cross officials left today for Jordan carrying the questionnaires which Israel requires as part of its security clearance program to screen out potential saboteurs and guerrillas. The questionnaires bear the stamp of Israel, Jordan and the International Red Cross in accordance with a formula worked out to satisfy Jordanian officials who rejected the initial questionnaire form because it contained only the imprint of the State of Israel.

The officials said that Israel’s agreed willingness to permit the refugees to return to the Israel-held West Bank will cause Jordanian authorities to press for the return of a maximum number of re- fugees, particularly many living on United Nations aid. The officials said the returnees have always been an unruly element for the King Hussein regime. Sending them back to Israel is a particularly useful solution for the Hussein regime, the officials said. The regime will rid itself of a disruptive element while imposing that element on Israel, they said.