The Military Government today removed from office Mayer Rageb el Alemi of Gaza on grounds of hostile behavior, lack of cooperation with military authorities and refusal to provide necessary municipal services despite a considerable surplus in the town treasury. The order by Brig. Gen, Menachem Aviram rescinding Alemi’s appointment was the first instance of Israeli authorities dismissing a mayor of a Gaza Strip town. Almost 24 hours before his dismissal, terrorists attacked a civilian car traveling along the Gaza-Tel Aviv -Highway in the northern Gaza Strip killing two Israeli children, a brother and sister aged 7 and 4 and injuring their mother, who were occupants in the car. These first terrorist killings in the new year had a special impact on Israelis because the children were well known from advertisements in newspapers for which they had modeled. Alemi was not elected by popular vote but was appointed to office by the Egyptian authorities five years ago. His appointment was re-affirmed by Israeli military authorities after the Six-Day War. But they accused him today of gross neglect of his municipal duties. When Alemi was invited to Jerusalem by Deputy Knesset Speaker Yitzhak Navon several months ago to submit a list of his town’s needs, the only request he made was for a reduction of his personal income tax bill. Alemi had also petitioned the military government against linking Gaza’s electric power system with Israel’s national grid. The linkage, effected last year, provided Gaza residents with cheaper, more reliable electric power.
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