Two Algerians who were found aboard a British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) plane which landed at Lod Airport last Friday and were held for questioning by Israeli authorities, will be released within the next few days when questioning is completed, it was learned today. In explaining the detention of the two Algerians, an Israeli spokesman said, “In view of what passengers bearing similar passports have done at the airports of Zurich, Athens and Munich, persons bearing Algerian passports obviously excited the curiosity of airport officials.” Some Israelis, including Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, favored keeping the two as hostages to be traded for the exchange of Israeli captives in Arab countries. But a government majority felt detention of the Algerians would tarnish Israel’s image as a “state ruled by law.” The two Algerians are Major Khatib Jaloul, secretary of the Algerian government and a close associate of President Boumediene, and All Bel Aziz, a senior ministerial secretary. Hannah Zemer, editor-in-chief of Davar, in a front-page article yesterday, recalled how Algeria held the hijacked Israeli passengers two years ago but observed. “We cannot afford to behave like the Arabs…it would be wiser and more correct if we acted like the way we demand the Arabs should…Israel is a state based on law.” Foreign Minister Abba Eban said today the matter of the Algerians would have “an Israeli solution, not an Algerian solution.” Israeli officials have carefully avoided applying the term arrest or detention to the status of the two Algerians. Officially they have been “held pending an investigation” and a news blackout has been imposed on the case.
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