The Arab states along Israel’s borders, especially Jordan, have adopted a hostile policy toward Israel and have disregarded the armistice agreements which they have signed, Lt. Col. Haim Gaon, Israel’s senior delegate to the four Mixed Armistice Commissions, charged here today.
He said that the “tightening anti-Israel line” both in the Mixed Armistice Commissions and in along the border had become evident shortly after a meeting in Amman last November of the Arab delegates to the four United Nations-supervised armistice bodies. The November conference marked a “turning point for the worse, ” Col. Gaon declared. As another indication of the Arab attitude, he pointed out that the Arabs have been demanding dismissal of Gen. William E. Reilly, American chief of the U.N. truce set-up, who, Col. Gaon said, “wants peace.”
In a review of the worsening situation along the Jordan frontiers, Col. Gaon revealed that three incidents involving Arab Legionl troops firing on Israel patrols or invading Israel territory in attempts to ambush Israeli soldiers, have taken place in the last two weeks. In addition, Jordan has refused to release Israeli soldiers who accidentally crossed the border, although Israel and Jordan have an agreement providing for the early exchange of such troops. As a result, Col. Gaon declared, Israel has denounced agreements with Jordan which supplement the armistice pact.
The Israeli representative also took exception to the activities of Belgian Col. Bennett D. Ridder, one of Gen. Riley’s assistants, asserting that the officer’s “inefficiency was not helping to improve relations” between Israel and Jordan. Col. de Ridder is currently chairman of the Jordan-Israel Mixed Armistice Commission.
The Israel Government today distributed a year’s supplementary food supplies to a Bedouin tribe living near the Syrian border. The food was supplied by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to some 370 Bedouins in the village of Bakara, which is located in the demilitarized zone of Israel adjoining Syria. Supplementary rations had been distributed monthly in the past, but UNRWA recently decided to change the system.
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