Twenty-two Syrian prisoners last night refused to return to their homeland when they were brought to the Syrian-Israeli border as part of a group of 79 Arabs who were to be exchanged for 31 Israelis.
The Syrian authorities refused to go through with the exchange when the 22 insisted upon remaining in the Jewish state. They demanded that their compatriots be forces to return. The 22 then appeared before U.N. officials and made a declaration that the they wished to remain in Israel. At this point the Syrian authorities agreed to the ### to stay in the Jewish state.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.