A “tough as ever” policy by Israel before the United Nations Security Council was promised by Israel’s chief delegate to the UN, Ambassador Yosef Tekoah, when he left for New York today to press Israel’s complaint against Egypt’s alleged violation of the ceasefire in the Suez Canal zone last week. Israel yesterday called for an urgent meeting of the 15-nation body to consider the ambush killing of two Israeli soldiers by Egyptian commandos and the kidnapping of a third soldier. The Council meets Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Mr. Tekoah, who cut short his consultations here to return to UN headquarters, said there was no reason why Israel should change the attitude on cease-fire violations it has adopted until now. Israel considers the Suez incident a “deliberate and planned military attack” that flagrantly violated the June, 1967 cease-fire. So far, Egyptian authorities have disclaimed any knowledge of the incident in which, according to Israeli estimates, at least 30 commandos participated. No Arab guerrilla organizations have claimed responsibility for it.
Israel announced yesterday that three Egyptian soldiers had defected to its side during the past two months. Three persons identified as the deserters were interviewed on Kol Israel radio and urged other Egyptian soldiers to defect. They were identified as Saleh Muhammed Suleyman, Abd el-Munif Abd el-Aziz and Abd el-Latif el-Rahman Kamel. They reportedly deserted separately and said their motivation had been cruel treatment by their superior officers. They also said they objected to the growing Communist influence in Egypt. An Israeli Army unit was attacked by Jordanians near the Umm Tutz pass south of the Beisan Valley early today precipitating an exchange of fire that lasted 30 minutes, a military spokesman reported. Israeli return fire silenced the Jordanian gunners. There were no Israeli casualties. Saboteurs wrecked a telephone pole north of Eilat Monday night but the wires were promptly repaired and there was no interruption of telephone service, a military spokesman reported. El Fatah terrorist leaflets were found in the vicinity.
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