Shamir and Herzog Under Fire for Their References to an Underground Jewish Terrorist Group

President Chaim Herzog came under attack from the rightwing and Premier Yitzhak Shamir from the left for their references yesterday to a suspected underground Jewish terrorist group based on the West Bank.

Both men made their remarks in the course of independence Day broadcasts. Herzog, who forcefully condemned the “mad minds” of “unbalanced men” under investigation for the attempted sabotage of Arab owned buses and other acts of violence against Arab civilians, was assailed by Gush Emunim militants for pre-judging suspects against whom no formal charges have been filed yet.

Shamir was accused by the Peace Now movement of playing down the dangers posed by Jewish vigilantism when he referred to the underground as only a “small group” of suspects. The Premier stressed that “the faults of individuals must not be exploited to stain a large group of settlers, pioneers and fighters, people who dedicate themselves to the Land of Israel.”

Shamir’s plea was on behalf of the West Bank settlers and advocates of “Greater Israel” who complained they were smeared by media reports that most of the suspects in the bus sabotage attempt were residents of the West Bank and Golan Heights.

Shamir cautioned the media and political groups not to depict what he called scattered instances as a general phenomenon. Peace Now charged that Shamir was minimizing the significance of the underground and urged the government to draw the correct conclusions from recent disclosures by the police.

Herzog did not impugn the settlement movement as such but characterized the sabotage attempt, for which more than 20 suspects are being held, as “treasonous acts” that could compromise Israel’s independence. The Gush Emunim claimed it was unseemly for the President to have expressed himself in that manner on Independence Day.