The United States Government today asked the Government of Israel to use restraint in handling the situation on the Syrian border where an Israeli settlement was shelled yesterday by Syrian military positions. The request was delivered to the Foreign Ministry by U.S. Charge d’Affaires William Baxter.
Dr. Walter Eytan, director general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, told Mr. Baxter that Israel has shown restraint and is willing to cooperate with the United Nations to prevent a recurrence of such incidents. He emphasized, however, that Syria must not show any further signs of aggressiveness. It is understood that a request for restraint was also presented by the United States to the Syrian Government through the American Embassy in Damascus.
The Cairo radio, in a Hebrew broadcast today, announced that the joint Arab command–Egyptian and Syrian–had become operative since last midnight and had moved up to the “front”–the scene of yesterday’s ten-hour clash between entrenched Syrian gunners and Israeli border patrols.
The Cairo commentator quoted a Syrian communique made after last midnight as authority for the announcement of the operational status of the joint command. The Syrians also said that the Egyptian representative on the joint command had assured his Syrian allies of Cairo’s fullest cooperation in the event of need.
Meanwhile, a Syrian sniper wounded an Israeli combine operator working in the fields of Dan settlement, north of Gonen, where yesterday’s battle occurred. The first shot hit the Israeli in the hand, a second damaged his rifle which was standing beside him.
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.
