Syria and Israel Exchange Prisoners; Return of More Israelis Sought

Israel will take steps to insure the return of eight more Israeli prisoners being held in Syria, it was stated here today, following the exchange of prisoners between Syria and Israel yesterday, when the Damascus Government released 11 Israeli prisoners for 18 Syrians previously confined here.

The names of at least four Israelis still being held by Syria were given to Israeli Government officials by those who were released by Syria yesterday. One Israeli, according to the freed prisoners, had been executed by the Syrians, and another Israeli was reported to have committed suicide while being held by the Syrians. Some of those who came back yesterday reported they had been badly, inhumanely treated.

The prisoner exchange took place at 11:30 yesterday morning (local time) over a small, seldom-used bridge over the Jordan River at Bnot Yaacov, the only direct link between Israel and Syria. United Nations military observers at work on the Syrian-Israeli border use that bridge as their route between the two countries.

Under the eyes of UN observers, the 11 Israelis and the 18 Syrians crossed over the bridge in single file. Included among the returned Israelis were three–two girls and a man–who were abducted by the Syrians last July when a boat in which they were riding on Lake Tiberias foundered. That boat had contained also three Belgian nationals. The Syrians released the Belgians in a few days, but held on to the Israelis.

The prisoner exchange followed long, drawn-out negotiations, carried on by the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization and by the Israel delegation at the United Nations. Last August, when the UN Security Council considered Israel’s complaint against Syria, whose soldiers had murdered two young Israeli farmers at Almagor, Gen. Odd Bull, then chief of staff of the UNTSO, had proposed that both countries exchange prisoners as a step toward easing of tensions. Later, the president of the Security Council and UN Secretary-General U Thant voiced similar appeals.

The Israeli delegation at the United Nations has been pressing for completion of this exchange for months, many conferences having been held on this issue between Michael S. Comay, Israel’s permanent representative at the UN. with Mr. Thant and with Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, UN Undersecretary for Special Political Affairs. (At the United Nations today, Dr. Bunche said: “We are very happy that the exchange took place.)

GOLDA MEIR REPORTS TO CABINET; PRISONERS WERE TORTURED IN SYRIA

Mrs. Golda Meir, Israel’s Foreign Minister, reported on the prisoner exchange at today’s weekly meeting of the Cabinet, and voiced high praise for the “special efforts” to bring about the exchange made by Mr. Thant and Dr. Bunche. Previously, the Foreign Ministry also thanked Gol. Wilkinson, the chairman of the Israeli-Syrian Mixed Armistice Commission, for his participation in the long negotiations.

The returned prisoners, when interrogated prior to rejoining their families, complained of cruel treatment in Syria during their imprisonment there. One of them said that he would go on a hunger strike until assured that the Syrian atrocities would be investigated by the United Nations. Medical examinations of the prisoners indicated that some of them may have to be sent to mental institutions and that some have been so affected by the cruel treatment they received that they may have to be confined to mental hospitals for the rest of their lives.

Itzhak Maralel, one of the freed prisoners, described some of the Syrian atrocities. He said prisoners were subjected to electric shock treatment, being badly burned in the process. Some Israelis, he said, were forced to crouch inside an automobile tire which was wheeled around the prison court-yard. Another was placed in a cell containing hungry dogs.

The ex-prisoners named the Israeli who had been murdered by the Syrians as Maurice Hanak, whom the Syrians had accused of “security crimes.” They said another Israeli, Joseph Shmesh, had attempted suicide several times but was saved by fellow-prisoners. Menachem Menache, another Israeli, captured in 1948, reportedly died of hunger and torture in prison.

One of the returnees Avraham Daskal, captured 12 years ago, is on the verge of a mental breakdown. Two of the former prisoners were in such a state of shock that they could not even give their own names. United Nations observers watching the exchange said of the Israeli returnees: “We never saw such a broken group of people.”

According to reports here, Israel is considering approaching international organizations in connection with the Israelis still being held in Syria and with respect to the cruel treatment given those who came back yesterday.