The United States Embassy in Israel has invited a group of editors of newspapers in Israel to visit South Viet Nam to observe the war there, and the Cabinet here has decided that the Israel Government has no authority to intervene in the matter, it was learned here today.
Minister of Health Israel Barzilai brought the issue before the Cabinet, asking whether it was advisable to permit Israeli journalists to accept the American invitation. Foreign Minister Abba Eban then told the Cabinet that there was no authority for the Government to intervene in a trip involving representatives of the Israeli press.
It was reported here that former Gen. Moshe Dayan, a popular Israeli war hero, was among the Israelis invited by the U. S. Embassy to make the trip as a correspondent for an Israeli newspaper. Gen. Dayan had, at first, reportedly accepted the invitation, but then rescinded his acceptance, fearing that if he went to South Viet Nam at the behest of the Americans, this might be deemed Israeli political involvement. Gen. Dayan is one of the leaders of Rafi, the dissident political group headed by former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion.
Several of the Israeli newspapers have accepted the invitation and have announced the names of top members of their staffs who will go to South Viet Nam.
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