The Israel Ministry of Justice today decided that the trial of Adolf Eichmann, who directed the killing of 6, 000, 000 Jews under the Nazi regime, should be held in Jerusalem despite other suggestions from abroad.
The Foreign Ministry here today refused to make any comment on a report from Buenos Aires that the Argentine Foreign Minister, Diogenes Taboada, had summoned Arich Levavi Israel Ambassador to Argentine, and demanded that Israel provide him with an official report on the reported abduction of Eichmann from a suburb in Buenos Aires. The Foreign Ministry here declined to say whether such a request has been made.
(The report on Argentina’s request for information from the Israel Government on the abduction of Eichmann was disseminated by the Associated Press whose correspondent in Buenos Aires said that the Argentine Foreign Minister had declared that his government would formally protest to Israel if it was proved that Eichmann was kidnapped in Argentina.)
Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Zionist Organization and of the World Jewish Congress, today modified his suggestion that Eichmann should be tried by an international tribunal. Following a statement by Premier David Ben-Gurion strongly disagreeing with Dr. Goldmann, the latter reportedly proposed that official observers from other nations who suffered from Nazi bestialities be invited to attend the Eichmann trial.
Preparations for the trial meanwhile continued in several areas. A public hall having been decided on as the site for the trial because Israel courts are small, the search for such a hall was being made on the basis that too big a hall might give an undesirable impression of a “show trial, ” A 500-seat hall, providing room for an anticipated 400 overseas correspondents expected for the trial, was decided on as appropriate.
Meanwhile, a special Interministerial committee was set up today to decide “news policy and to coordinate release of information” on the Eichmann investigation. The committee consists of representatives of the Government press office, the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs, the police and the Security Services, The committee also will handle arrangements for press coverage of the trial.
Yehuda Shimony, passenger service manager of El Al-Israel Airlines, said today that a report in Time magazine identifying him as head of an Israeli commando unit sent to Buenos Aires to capture Eichmann was “totally untrue and unfounded.”
The newsweekly’s story said that seizure of the Nazi master criminal took place in May 13. Shimony said that he left for Buenos Aires on May 4 and departed from there on May 10 and that during that period he had spent his time obtaining passage permission for an El Al special flight which brought an Israeli delegation to Argentina on a formal visit.
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