Israel has cancelled its planned participation in an international trade fair which was scheduled to be held in Bulgaria later this year an Israel Foreign Ministry spokesman declared today. Although the spokesman gave no official reason for the action, it is understood that Israel has adopted a cool attitude toward Bulgaria pending satisfaction over the shooting down of the El Al Constellation with 58 persons aboard.
The Israel commission investigating the circumstances of the crash will enter Yugoslavia to press its inquiry in the frontier area of that country, from which the plane came just before it was shot down, it was reported here today. The dispatch added that the Yugoslav Government has itself instituted an inquiry as to the circumstances of the plane’s passing the border area and whether any Bulgarian shells fired at the plane landed in Yugoslav territory.
Preparations were being made here today for the burial of the remains of the 58 victims in a common grave. A special committee consisting of representatives of the Premier’s Office, the Ministry for Religion and the Foreign Ministry. The remains will be buried in the Jerusalem cemetery and since it is impossible to distinguish between Jewish and non-Jewish victims, no religious services will be held.
Meanwhile, the remains are en route by rail from Sofia to Istanbul where three Israel airplanes–two supplied by the Air Force and one a commercial transport, will fly them to Israel.
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