Correspondent Confirms Guerrillas Removed Jewish Passengers from Hijacked Planes

Arab guerrillas boarded the hijacked TWA jet in Jordan Monday night and took off six Americans and Israelis, according to a report today by United Press International correspondent David Zenian in the Washington Post. Mr. Zenian said he was the first outsider permitted to visit the desert airstrip in northern Jordan and speak to the hijacked passengers. He said he was allowed only ten minutes with them and was not permitted to board the plane. The reporter said the guerrillas denied that any men were taken off the plane but the TWA co-pilot, James Major said they were and identified five of them as Gerald Berkowitz, James Wood, John Hollingsworth, Abraham Harari Raful and Joseph Raful. One was an American soldier. Mr. Berkowitz was identified as “a New York City rabbi.” Mr. Zenian reported that “A middle aged Israeli woman, Mrs. Harari Raful, said “The commandos took my husband and his brother and four other men. They gave no reasons. Where have they taken them?’ She wept as she told of the incident.” About 60-70 women and children from the TWA plane were bussed to hotels in Amman. Mr. Zenian said co-pilot Major told him that “it is true no Jewish persons of any nationality left the plane.”