Brushing aside all questions with a terse “I have arrived safely, that’s all I can say, ” Eliahu Chazan returned to Israel today by air with his wife and daughter from an ordeal of being kidnapped and tortured by Soviet secret service agents in Odessa.
Alexander Abramov, the Russian Ambassador to Israel, was reliably reported to have expressed disbelief in the report of the diplomat’s detention, which was relayed to him in a protest from the Israel Government. Mr. Abramov, who took part in a special reception tendered by the Mexican Minister, refused comment on the entire situation.
The Israel diplomat was taken from the Lydda airport in a special car which proceeded to Jerusalem where he was scheduled to report to the Israel Foreign Ministry. Among those awaiting Mr. Chazan were several members of the Kibbutz, Kfar Gildai, of which he is a member. The kibbutz was notified in advance by the Foreign Ministry of the return of the Chazan family. A notice was pinned in the kibbutz dining hall with the phrase, “blessed be the expelled.”
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.
