Israel Asks Security Council Meeting on Suez Canal Killings, Abduction

Israel today asked for an urgent meeting of the Security Council to consider what it termed a “deliberate and planned military attack” by Egyptian forces that resulted Aug. 26 in the death of two Israeli soldiers and kidnapping of another. An Israeli source said a meeting probably would be held Wednesday. A letter was submitted requesting the meeting by Shabtai Rosenne, deputy permanent representative. Yosef Tekoah, Israel’s permanent UN representative, is returning from Israel, where he has been holding diplomatic consultations, to present Israel’s case.

Mr. Rosenne said in the letter to Ambassador George Ignatieff of Canada, this month’s Council president, that the alleged attack constituted a “flagrant violation” of the Six-Day War ceasefire. “The seriousness” of the attack at the Suez Canal, he said, “is aggravated by the negative reply of the United Arab Republic authorities to representations made by Israel through Lt. Gen. Odd Bull,” chief of the UN cease-fire observer team, “to return the kidnapped soldier, to take effective steps against those responsible for the attack and to give assurances it would not be repeated.” The Israel Cabinet decided Sunday to seek a Council session after considering a report brought from Cairo by Lt. Gen. Bull to Defense Minister Gen. Moshe Dayan. Gen. Bull said that Egyptian authorities denied that Egyptian forces had crossed the canal. The Egyptians also disclaimed any knowledge of the whereabouts of the soldier who, Israel claims, was dragged by some 30 commandos into a boat waiting at the canal. No Arab para-military organization has claimed responsibility for the incident.

Israel claims that the marauders laid mines on a patrol road adjacent to the canal near Ismailiya, and when Israeli troops in a jeep struck the mine, the Egyptians opened fire killing two and abducting the other. In recent incidents at the canal, Israel has responded with firing everything from small arms to heavy artillery. But the Cabinet’s decision to use a diplomatic approach apparently reflected concern for the safety and welfare of the abducted soldier. Israeli political circles were certain that any Council resolution condemning Egypt would be vetoed by the Soviet Union, but deemed it important nevertheless to alert world public opinion to the incident. The Cabinet apparently felt that it could also test the Council’s handling of an incident in which the available evidence, including that provided by Gen. Bull’s observers, apparently pointed to Egyptian responsibility. Since the June war, the Council has been frequently called upon to meet by the Arab states to consider Israeli retaliation to Arab terrorist raids. Egyptian communications media during the past two weeks have been proclaiming that Israel has massed troops on the eastern side of the canal to prevent Egyptian intervention while Israel was “busy” in Jordan. Israel has officially denied any intention of launching a campaign against Arab terrorists in Jordan or any troop build-up on its side of the canal demarcation line. Some officials believe that to retaliate against Egypt would confirm its predictions.