Israel Nabs Top PLO Officer As Terror Sweeps Borders, Pow Camp

While incidents of Arab terrorism, inside Israel and on its borders, especially the frontiers of Jordan and Syria, increased in the last few days, Jerusalem police announced the arrest of Faisal Al Husseini, one of the top leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organization and a kinsman of the former Grand Mufti, who was notorious during World War II as a collaborator of Adolf Hitler. The man’s father, the late Abdul Kadar Al Husseini, was also a staunch fighter against Israel, who was killed during the War for Independence in 1948.

Al Husseini’s arrest brings to more than 30 the number of Atah terrorists apprehended since the unsuccessful effort to blow up a crowded cinema theater here three weeks ago. The arrested man was a major in the army of Syria, where the PLO has been training many of the saboteurs that have created, or tried to wreak, havoc in Israel for a long time. Meanwhile, the following incidents have taken place:

1) At a prisoner-of-war camp for Egyptians, in Israel, the Egyptians staged a riot, suppressed after efforts at pacification, by Israel military police. One prisoner of war was killed, two others were wounded, and several Israeli military policemen suffered slight injuries. The action took place Oct. 30, but was announced by the Israeli Army spokesman only today. Israel had promptly notified the International Red Cross of the incident.

2) An artillery duel between Israeli and Jordanian forces in the early hours this morning climaxed a night of attempted sabotage by Arab terrorists in and around settlements of the Beisan valley. In Kibbutz Maoz Chaim, which was struck by 10 shells, one person was wounded and the cultural house and clinic were wrecked. According to the Army spokesman, explosive charges were set off shortly after 2 a.m. at a silo and grain storage building at Kibbutz Sdeh Eliyahu. Two hours later, Israeli forces encountered a band of saboteurs retreating toward the Jordan River, south of Kfar Ruppin. Jordanian forces across the river opened fire to cover the withdrawal, and were answered by Israeli fire. Some time later, Jordanian artillery commenced firing and Israeli artillery replied. The foot-prints of eight persons, presumable saboteurs, were found at Sdeh Eliyahu.

3) Several Israeli soldiers were slightly injured this morning when their patrol clashed with a Syrian unit that had penetrated into Israeli-held territory in the Boutmiyeh area. The fire exchange lasted several minutes. The Syrians were intercepted west of the cease-fire lines.

4) An Arab terrorist was killed by four Israeli youths after he opened fire on them on an unpaved road near Hebron, last night. The youths, all from Kibbutz Iftah, were traveling on the road when they were suddenly attacked by shots fired by the terrorist. The youths, who were armed, returned the fire and were soon joined by reinforcements. A subsequent search of the area found the body of the Arab terrorist holding in his hands a still hot Russian sub-machine-gun. He also had four unused magazines.

Israeli police arrested today several Arab youngsters in the Gaza Strip suspected of throwing hand grenades last week in protest against the 50th anniversary celebration of the Balfour Declaration. Four Gaza residents were injured in the explosions.

Another expression of Arab resentment was an almost total boycott of Gaza schools. The teachers arrived on schedule but, when very few pupils appeared, the Israeli authorities cancelled all classes. Schools in Arab refugee camps functioned normally. Strengthened army and police units patrolled the streets of Gaza, Khan Yunis and other Gaza Strip townships, but there were no incidents other than the grenade tossing.

Defense Minister Moshe Dayan and Chief of Staff Yitzhak Rabin met today with Northern front and local Israeli commanders in the Beisan Valley, site of recent infiltrations from Jordan, to discuss ways to intensify Israel’s counter-saboteur operations.

It was learned at the same time that Jordan has been strengthening troop positions in the Jordanian section across the Jordan River from the Beisan Valley. Israeli officials speculated that either the Jordanians feared some Israeli reaction to the sabotage raids or that they had decided to take firm action against use of Jordanian territory as bases for raids across the river into Israeli-held territory. The Defense Minister and Gen. Rabin were accompanied by senior staff officials.