Israel Serves Notice to U. N. on Defense Action Against Arab Sabcteurs

Israel served notice this weekend that it reserved the right to take “whatever defense measures may be appropriate in discharge of its duty to protect its citizens and territory” from saboteur infiltrations from the neighboring Arab states.

In a letter to the President of the Security Council, which he asked to be distributed as a Council document, Michael S. Comay, permanent Israel representative to the UN, reported two new terrorist attacks on the Israel villages of Yiftah and Bet Govrin. He charged that the first attack was carried out by a band of three men who came from Lebanon and returned there, while the second was carried out by a band coming from Jordan territory. The attacks took place on June 1.

The letter reiterated that “under the mixed armistice agreements, the governments concerned must in each case hear the responsibility for these acts perpetrated by persons crossing the border from their territories into Israel. That responsibility,” it continued, “includes the duty to apprehend and punish the persons involved and the duty to take the strongest possible action to prevent any recurrence of organized infiltration, murder of civilians and sabotage of property.”

Mr. Comay further advised the Security Council that the Jordan-Israel Mixed Armistice Commission investigating the attack on Ramat Hakovesh on May 25 had found that “there had been a flagrant violation by Jordan of Article Four, Paragraph Three of the general armistice agreement” and had “expressed grave concern at the recurrence of incidents of this nature which disturb normal life in Israel and constitute a threat to peace and tranquility.”

In voicing this new complaint, Israel did not ask for a meeting of the Security Council.