An alleged “Israeli soldier” whom Arab guerrillas claimed to have captured in a recent clash with Israeli forces is in fact a Druze with a police record who was discharged from the Army last year because he was mentally unbalanced, a military spokesman said here today.
The case history of Yousouf Hassan Habakka, of Yanoa village in Galilee was made public in response to guerrilla claims that they had captured their first Israeli soldier in battle. The guerrillas displayed Hebakka to the press in Jordan today.
The Israeli spokesman said that the Druze was wanted by police for various crimes. He said the man enlisted in the Israel Army but was discharged soon afterwards as a result of a psychiatric examination which found him unfit. He apparently crossed the border on his own because there was no clash such as the one described by the guerrillas and no Israeli soldier was captured by them, the spokesman said. The Druze are non-Moslem, and are loyal to Israel. They serve in the Israeli Army and police force.
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