ISRAEL CRITICISES BONN

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33061, 31 October 1972, Page 17

ISRAEL CRITICISES BONN

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) JERUSALEM, Oct. 30. Israel’s shocked dismay at Bonn’s decision to release three Arab guerrillas in exchange for a hijacked plane was likely to be conveyed in forceful terms today to the West German Government.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the issue of handing over the “Black September” guerrillas, held

in connection with the killing of 11 Israeli sportsmen at the Munich Olympic Games last month, would be raised with Bonn “urgently and with gravity.” Israelis of every stripe were frustrated and angry that Bonn had agreed to hand over the guerrillas to other commandos who hijacked a

Lufthansa plane travelling between Beirut and Ankara yesterday and forced it to fly ultimately to Tripoli, Libya. “Israel’s view is well known. Every capitulation to hijackers encourages and increases their criminal activities, and every compliance with their wishes is at the expense of future victims,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

The statement reflects general concern that guerrillas will now be encouraged to attempt more hijackings to gain the release of commandos captured by Israel, which has said several times that it will not be blackmailed into exchanging hostages. Government and opposition leaders saw the German decision as surrender to just

such blackmail, and students demonstrated peacefully outside the West German Embassy last night to protest against the release. A Minister without Portfolio, Mr Israel Galili, considered a close confidant of the Prime Minister (Mrs Golda Meir) said that he was astonished that no real attempt was made to thwart the hijackers. He told journalists last night that the release was “an act that cannot be condoned in whatever country it might have occurred, but in particular since it happened in Germany, so short a time after the abhorrent murders of September 6 (at Munich).” He said that it was a surrender to terrorists. Mr Simcha Ehrlich, chair-

man of the Liberal Party, a minority group in the ruling coalition, said: “Freeing the murderers without any punishment is a mark of shame on Germany.” Similar feelings were expressed by a member of the Opposition Gahal Party and by many ordinary Israelis. A formal Government statement, possibly by Mrs Meir herself, might be issued today, Government sources indicated last night.

Mrs Meir was kept in touch with developments throughout the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday, which spent much of its time considering the events as they were happening. The Government had instructed its Ambassador in Bonn, Mr Eliashiv BenHorin, to try to persuade Bonn not to release the guerrillas.

West Germany’s Ambassador to Israel, Mr Jesco von Puttkammer, was also asked to transmit this view to his Government.

Only two weeks ago, Mrs Meir strongly criticised the German security arrangements which had allowed the Israeli sportsmen to be taken hostage at the Olympic Games.

But then she praised the Germans for deciding to battle the guerrillas, even though the operation failed.