The United States Government is pleased to have Syrian assurances as to future treatment of American citizens visiting Syria, but continues to disagree with Syria’s interpretation of facts in the case of Edward Levy, 25, of New York, who was held incommunicado by Syria for almost two years. Levy, a Jew, is now back in New York.
A State Department spokesman said Mr. Levy entered a restricted military zone on the Israel-Syrian frontier. Syria claimed he was an Israeli citizen because he was formally exchanged for a Syrian national. But the State Department does not view this explanation as adequate, it was indicated.
Until Mr. Levy was turned over to Israeli authorities, his whereabouts were not known, either to Israel or to the United States Embassy in Israel, from the time he crossed over into Syria two years ago, after living at Kibbutz EIn Gev, near the Syrian border. There was never any doubt that he was an American, and not an Israeli.
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