Journalist Reports Foul-ups in Exchange of Israeli Dead

An American journalist who recently witnessed the Egyptian army’s exhumation and exchange of Israeli bodies near Kantara reported that while the Egyptians show a sincere desire to abide by the terms of the disengagement agreement, there are nevertheless delays and foul-ups in the exhumation efforts. The journalist’s story appeared to account, to some extent, for the complaints voiced by the Israeli Parents Committee in their press conference in Tel Aviv today.

Moses Schonfeld, a broadcaster for U.S. and Canadian radio at the United Nations in New York is in Israel after visiting Egypt and Lebanon. Schonfeld told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today that his visits to the Arab states were arranged by their delegations to the UN with whom he is in constant professional contact. In Lebanon he was a guest of the government. Schonfeld and five other journalists witnessed the exhumation and repatriation of three Israeli bodies Feb. 4.

He said that in fact the plan was to exhume and return 18 bodies but the truck carrying the coffins for the bodies strayed to Suez town instead of Kantara. Many hours were spent–to the obvious discomfort of Brig. Gen. Sherif, the Egyptian officer in charge of manpower–tracing the truck. In this incident only three bodies were exhumed: The Egyptians had not identified them –so they told the Red Cross official supervising the procedures. But Sherif said he was sure the Israelis had the means to identify them.

Two aged Alexandria Jewish officials, Hazanim Moise Aron Yona, 73, and Menashe Avraham Meri, 62, said the prayers for the dead while the Egyptians stood respectfully at attention. Schonfeld said the Egyptians are patently doing their best–and for that reason the Red Cross officials do not complain at the delays, but privately the Red Cross men say the exhumation is not proceeding entirely according to plans at the desirable pace.