Syria Starts Fire Exchange on Israel’s Border on 2nd Successive Day

An Israeli soldier was slightly wounded today when a Syrian position opened fire near the Kibbutz Dan today. The clash was the second border shooting incident since an extraordinary session of the Israel-Syrian Armistice Com- mission began talks three weeks ago. The fourth meeting in the session is scheduled for Thursday.

Israeli officials have charged that Syria is using the MAC talks as a cover for sending farmers into the demilitarized zone to cultivate land there. The only item on the MAC session agenda is an effort to seek agreement on cultivation rights in the zones on the border which are within Israeli territory.

According to the Israeli army spokesman, the first clash, yesterday, developed when a Syrian soldier was observed pushing two farmers into the zone. The incident today began when five Syrians were seen entering an Israeli plot in the northern demilitarized zone near Dan, apparently in a new attempt to begin cultivation. They were driven off by an Israeli patrol. About an hour later, Syrians began shooting at a routine patrol in the same area. The shooting lasted about 45 minutes. The wounded Israeli soldier was taken to a hospital, where his injuries were Listed as slight.

Israeli officials said that the Syrians apparently hoped to present Syrian cultivation in the zone as an accomplished fact when the scheduled MAC session is resumed.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Foreign Minister, Abba Eban, today called upon the Soviet Union to dissociate herself publicly from acts of sabotage committed inside Israel by Syrian infiltrators. Speaking before the Knesset (Parliament), Mr. Eban asked that all governments appeal to Syria to desist from aggression against Israel, but added that action by the Soviet Union would be especially significant.

Mr. Eban, during the course of discussion on the Foreign Ministry’s budget for the 1967 fiscal year, also called for the major nations to maintain the present Middle East power balance.