News Brief

that measures would be taken to prevent recurrence of these incidents, Israel continued to train troops in the area near the demarcation line.

The MAC also held Israel responsible for the killing of an Arab farmer and his horse and donkey in Jordan territory. Jordanian charges that three Israelis had crossed the line and shot the Arab and his animals, which he was using for ploughing.

ISRAEL EXPLAINS REASON FOR ARMY TRAINING NEAR BORDER

Commenting on the MAC action, an Israeli spokesman said: “We regret the incident and we are taking every precaution humanly possible that such a thing should not happen again.” The reason training continues in the central border region rather than being moved to the Negev where artillery units would have “elbow room, ” Israeli circles explain, is that Israeli Army defense training system is regional in nature and troops which have to defend the central sector are trained on that terrain.

In reference to the numerous complaints against Israel on the MAC records, it was pointed out that the voting system provides two votes for each of the Israeli and Jordan delegations and one for the UN chairman. In Israel’s absence–it has boycotted the MAC for many months–the Jordanians have a clear majority and can carry any motion they care to introduce even in the face of objection by the one-vote chairman. Nevertheless, Israel does not plan a return to the MAC, holding it to be ineffective and mainly a platform for propaganda.

On the second resolution, pertaining to the killing of the Arab farmer, Israeli sources said that it has been established that the murder is the result of an inter-family feud crossing the border. Israeli police are trying to find the murderers and bring them to justice.