Herzog Rebukes Mexico for Its Letter Condemning Israel’s Rescue of Hostages at Entebbe

The Mexican letter to the President of the Security Council denouncing the Israeli rescue operation at Entebbe Airport in Uganda was rebuked last night by the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Chaim Herzog. Addressing the Security Council, the second time since the debate on the Israeli raid began last Friday, Herzog stated:

“It is utterly incredible and beyond the realm of comprehension that political expediency should dictate to the government of Mexico and lead it to attack a small state defending itself against a common enemy of Mexico and Israel, namely, international terror. We have always followed with understanding the very active campaign that Mexico is conducting against the terrorism which affects it. We are therefore all the more surprised that Mexico is unable to reveal a similar measure of understanding when action is taken designed to combat terror in cases where the victims are not Mexicans.”

ACCUSES UGANDA OF BLACKMAIL

In his major focus during the address to the 15-nation-member body, Herzog accused Uganda of trying to blackmail the Security Council and charged that the assertion by Uganda, that Mrs. Dora Bloch, the 75-year-old missing hijack victim, was returned from the hospital in Kampala to Entebbe Airport on July 3 to join the other hostages, “is a damnable lie.”

Continuing, Herzog declared : “Now we have the ominous news that the government of Uganda is applying the threat of blackmail to foreign nationals in Uganda in connection with the current proceedings in the Security Council. For the first time in history, a direct attempt is being made by threats of blackmail of the most ominous character to influence the proceeding in this Council.” Herzog’s accusation came after Britain reported to the Council that threats are being made against the British community in Uganda in connection with the Council’s present debate.

CITES ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE OF COMPLICITY

Citing evidence of Ugandan President Idi Amin’s collaboration with the hijackers of the Air France plane, in addition to that which he cited at the opening Council session last Friday, Herzog said that additional terrorists were driven to Entebbe Airport in Ugandan cars to reinforce the four terrorists who had originally hijacked the plane and that one of the drivers was a Ugandan soldier. Herzog also disclosed that the leader of the hijackers, a German named Wilfried Bose, had a route mapped out from Athens to Entebbe when the hijacking occurred. This information, Herzog said, was obtained from the freed hostages.

Declaring again that Uganda’s assertion concerning the fate of Mrs. Bloch is an “abominable lie.” Herzog stated that Mrs. Bloch’s case “only emphasizes in a most tragic manner the scope of the complicity of the Ugandans” with the terrorists

SOVIET UNION DENOUNCED

Lashing out at the Soviet Union, which attacked the Israeli rescue raid as an “aggression,” Herzog asked: “Why was there no statement when the plane was hijacked? Why have they (the Soviets) not condemned the terrorist acts of the PLO on many occasions in the past? Why did they not issue a statement or an appeal when the innocent hostages were being held in Entebbe? Why didn’t the distinguished representative of the Soviet Union even have one word to say about the fate of Mrs. Dora Bloch?”

Herzog said that the Soviet Union, which accuses Israel of aggression and inviolability of territorial integrity, itself has a “very considerable record in these respects in Hungary, in Czechoslovakia and in other countries in Eastern Europe.”

Meanwhile, two resolutions, one sponsored by the African-Arab bloc condemning Israel for its rescue operation in Uganda and an American-British resolution condemning hijacking and all acts of terrorism, are expected to be defeated this afternoon when the Security Council meets again. The African resolution is seen as certain to be vetoed by the U.S. and possibly Britain, while the American-British resolution will be rejected because it will not get the nine minimum affirmative votes needed for adoption.