U.S. Says Israel Violated Cease-fire but Egyptian Breaches Much Worse

Israel has violated the current 90-day cease-fire and standstill but the Egyptian violations are much more serious. State Department spokesman Robert J. McCloskey said today. He confirmed reports that the Nixon Administration had “evidence” of Israeli violations in the form of reconnaissance flights over Egyptian territory along the Suez Canal cease-fire line and by strengthening of fortifications along the Canal. The issue was raised by newsmen at the regular briefing today. Mr. McCloskey qualified the Administration charge of ground violations, reporting that U.S. officials had queried Israel about the charges, made by Egypt, and had been told that what was involved was maintenance of buildings and installations and equipment. He said he had no comment to make on that phase of the U.S.-Israel discussions about alleged ground violations other than that the United States had asked Israel for “clarification.”

The spokesman said that Israel’s reconnaissance photographs of Egyptian missile installations indicated that the Israeli planes had breached a phase of the cease-fire agreement requiring that neither Egypt nor Israel overfly each other’s positions within 10 kilometers of the Canal on either side. Asked about United States reconnaissance, he said American planes observed the 10-kilometer limit. He rejected the statement by Egyptian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Riad in Cairo yesterday that the United States had terminated the cease-fire agreement by announcing plans to provide additional economic and military aid to Israel. He said the United States had neither ended nor abandoned its peace initiative. He said the United States was maintaining its “even-handed” policy in the Middle East.

ISRAEL FILES NEW COMPLAINT OF EGYPTIAN BREACHES

(Political sources in Jerusalem denied tonight American press reports of alleged violations by Israel of the standstill phase of the cease-fire asserting that no complaints about the alleged violations had been received from the Nixon Administration. The denial came as Israel submitted another complaint to the United Nations of continued cease-fire violations by Egypt. Officials said the latest charge was based on information collected yesterday indicating that Egyptians were continuing work on construction of missile sites and stationing anti-aircraft guns within an area roughly 20 miles from the west bank of the Suez Canal. The sources in Jerusalem cited an official denial of the U.S. charges about Israeli violations, made in Washington by the Israel Embassy. The sources also criticized the asserting by Egyptian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Riad that the peace talks were dead. They said the Riad charge proved that Egypt had decided to kill the talks under Gunnar Jarring at the UN by violations of the standstill phase of the cease-fire. The sources said that “it appears Egypt thought it could commit these violations under the protective cover of the Jarring mission. This transparent maneuver has failed and has foiled the mission. Egypt must choose between advancing the mission or the missiles.”)

(Deputy Premier Yigal Allon said in Jerusalem yesterday that because of Egyptian violations, the 90-day cease-fire in the Suez Canal zone “no longer exists under international law.” He added, however, that as long as there was no shooting, Israel would continue to observe the truce for an unlimited period and would “regard it as a blessing.” Mr. Allon, who was named Acting Prime Minister during Premier Golda Meir’s visit to the United States, addressed newsmen at a press luncheon. He said the Jarring peace talks in New York would not be resumed as long as the military situation in the truce zone was not restored to its status on Aug. 7 when the standstill cease-fire went into effect. He said restoration meant not only the removal of illegally erected Egyptian missile bases but the destruction of dugouts prepared for new missile sites. Mr. Allon indicated that the government would not take reprisal measures against Arab terrorists in its custody as long as negotiations continue for the release of the hijacked airline passengers held hostage in Jordan. “Our courts are authorized to impose the death penalty,” he said, “but as long as our struggle to free the hostages is at its height I think we shall not take any new decisions on this matter.”)

Mr. McCloskey was asked about reports that King Hussein, who reportedly placed Jordan under a military government last night to cope with the increasing power and anti-government militancy of the guerrillas, had asked for United States military intervention. He said no request had been made and that the Nixon Administration had no intention of intervening. The internal situation in Jordan, he said, was a matter for the Jordanian Government to handle. He said that the International Red Cross was continuing its efforts to free the remaining 54 hijack hostages held by the guerrillas in Jordan. He said one Red Cross representative went to Jordan today and another planned to leave for Jordan from Cairo. He said the United States had been informed that the hostages were receiving good treatment, exercise and that they had been given cholera shots. He said he had been informed that the morale of the still detained hostages was “reasonably high.”