Conflict In Abstract

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32313, 3 June 1970, Page 17

Conflict In Abstract

(N.Z. Press Ass*. —Copyright)

TEL AVIV, June 2.

Despite the daily communiques reporting the Israeli - Arab conflict, hundreds of dashes j occur almost unseen—- “ The non - headlined bread-and-butter fighting,” as some call it.

Several months ago, In an effort to expedite the release of military communiques, the Israeli Government’s press office installed a telephone network which rings simultaneously in the homes and offices of all accredited foreign correspondents and news agencies. The network is used to broadcast major military com-

muniques, but these are, in a sense, also remarkable for what they do not announce. “Less-than-major” actions are saved up for weekly Israeli Army summaries of incidents not announced individually. These can add up to a great deal of fighting. For example, one recent summary, covering from May 10 to 16, reported 362 incidents, of which only 51 had been considered of sufficient importance to be included in the network announcements. Most of the immediatelyannounced actions involved air strikes, attacks on civilian targets, and fighting involving Israeli Army casulaties. The 311 other incidents involved mainly attacks on Israeli troops in which, it was said, no casualties were suffered. Of these, 215 occurred along file Suez Canal, 76

along the Jordan cease-fire line, seven on the Lebanese front, six on the Syrian front, five in the Gaza Strip, and two in occupied areas. The May 10-16 summary reported that during the 24hours holiday to mark Israel’s independence anniversary, troops manning the Jordanian front alone were in action 19 times. This, while in the cities and elsewhere Israelis were dancing in the streets. In most of the holiday actions, mortar, bazooka or machine-gun fire was aimed at Israeli outposts or against patrols along the River Jordan, and the Israelis returned the fire.

During the holiday week there were along the Suez Canal 61 artillery attacks, 102 mortar attacks and 52 exchanges of small arms fire—all incidents unworthy of mention at the time.