After again discussing Israel’s arrangements for safeguarding official secrets and screening personnel engaged in the government’s various security services the Cabinet today appointed a ministerial committee to probe into the security-personnel policies of all governmental departments.
The discussion grew out of the recent arrest of Israel Beer, well-known Israeli military analyst, who is in prison, accused of having done espionage for a foreign. Communist power. Beer, a writer and lecturer on military strategy, who held a Defense Ministry contract for the writing of the history of the War of Liberation, was so highly trusted that, at one time, he had been considered for the post of Chief of Staff of Israel’s Defense Forces.
The committee selected by the Cabinet consists of Finance Minister Levi Eshkol; Minister of the Interior Moshe Shapira; Minister of Police Behor Shitreet; and Yitzhak Ben-Aharon, Minister of Transport and Communications. A proposal before the Cabinet that a committee of judges or a public committee be set up to probe the subject of security personnel–instead of a ministerial committee–was voted down.
Meanwhile, Beer was remanded today for an additional 15 days by Magistrate Leah Ogen at the request of police. The additional detention was asked so that police would be able to complete their investigation into the charges. The suspect’s attorney raised no objections. He said that within two weeks Beer would make a statement to provide many details on the situation still unknown to the public.
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