BONN’S DEFENCE

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33062, 1 November 1972, Page 17

BONN’S DEFENCE

Copi/riflMJ BONN, October 31.

West Germany faces the most serious crisis in its relations with Israel as it defends itself against charges of capitulating to Arab terrorism, diplomatic observers in Bonn believe.

They feel time could be the best healer of the rift left by the freeing of Arab guerrillas in exchange for a hijacked Lufthansa airliner.

‘No other way’

It has hardly needed the accusations by the Israeli Prime Minister (Mrs Golda Meir) to spread a feeling of disquiet among many segments of the population that West Germany’s hard-won post-war honour has somehow been besmirched.

The same Germans admit; frankly, however, they cani see no other way their poll-. tkians could have acted toi prevent another bloodbath so; soon after the Munich | Olympic massacre. Chancellor Willy Brandt and other Government personalities have said they could not have acted otherwise with the lives of the 18 Eassengers and crew of the ijacked airliner at stake.

In an official statement yesterday. West Germany denied it was a capitulation to release the three guerrillas held after the Munich killing of 11 Israeli Olympic athletes.

"We had to be guided by the need to save passengers’ lives,” a spokesman said. Israel has protested to West Germany over the freeing of the guerrillas. Mrs Meir described the manner in which it was carried out as "depressing,! shocking and a disgrace to the spirit of man, found so weak and impotent in the face of brute force.” Wave of warmth Observers felt West Germany’s relations with Israel could not be helped by the unaccustomed wave of warmth from the Arab states for the West German action.

although this was accepted as a diplomatic “bonus.” Until the hijacking incident West Germany was being vilified by Arab nations because of its actions against Arab citizens in West Germany and restrictions placed after the Munich massacre on Arabs wishing to travel to West Germany. Diplomatic observers said they could see no immediate way out of the present impasse in the prevailing emotional mood.

A first step on the way to reconciliation with Israel, however, could be an official statement by Bonn condemning hijacking, couched in specific terms. The United States was to press for a new treaty providing sanctions against nations which harbour or aid hijackers, the State Department spokesman, Mr Charles Bray, said yesterday. It wants a meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (1.C.A.0.) convened to adopt the measure at the earliest possible date. Mr Bray said that the two hijackings—the Lufthansa airliner to Libya with the three freed Arab guerrillas from Munich, and an (American) Eastern Airlines jet taken to Cuba—underlined the need for international aviation to deter and prevent air piracy and other acts of international terrorism. U.S. regrets Mr Bray said the United States regretted the release of the three Arab guerrillas in the Lufthansa hijacking. He did not directly mention West Germany in discussing Sunday’s hijacking, but said “we regret that known terrorists can secure their freedom as a result of extortion and blackmail and can find eventual safe haven.” He said that the United States was in touch with West Germany, Jugoslavia, and Libya — the governments involved in the hijacking drama.

Mr Bray said that while the hijacking was taking place “we expressed our concern that the manner in which the hijackers’ demands were responded to could af-

feet the efforts to deal with terrorism on a world-wide basis.”

Speculation that the hijacking of the Lufthansa airliner may have been carried out with the collaboration of West German officials anxious to rid themselves of the three Palestinians accused of killing 11 Israeli Olympic athletes was aired today by the Beirut French-language newspaper, "L’Orient de Jour.” Labour unions are threatening to ban all Arab airline flights in and out of London’s Heathrow Airport, as of Friday. Union officials immediately began talks with individual airlines, and a spokesman said a final decision would be taken on Thursday.

The three Arab commandos freed from West German prisons by two of their comrades said in Tripoli last night that they were now eager for other operations against Israel anywhere in the world “until death or victory.”