Rafik Asha, Syrian permanent representative, charged here today that the Israeli authorities had expelled 18 Arabs from their homes in Israel and from a demilitarized area near Syria in two actions this month. He made his charges at a press conference.
He said that 11 Arabs, settlers in the demilitarized zone between Israel and Syria, had been driven out of the area on October 1 and their property had been confiscated. On October 9, he asserted, seven Arabs had been expelled from the village of Rihania, near Safad. These included men, women and children, he added.
Mr. Asha claimed that these two incidents were “flagrant violations” of the armistice agreement. He also said his government considers them as “naked aggression.” “The more Arabs they can uproot, ” Mr. Asha said, “the more political advantage they can gain.”
The Syrian representative announced that he had received instructions from his government to refer the question of Israel’s canal project to the Security Council if Israel did not comply with Gen. Bennike’s order to stop work on the project which, he said, would affect Syria.
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