Israel’s Chief of Staff Reports to Cabinet on Syrian Attacks

The shootings by Syrian armed forces against Israeli farmers and border patrols during the last week, resulting in the wounding of three Israelis, were appraised by members of Israel’s Cabinet here today as probably due to internal tensions in the Syrian Government, aimed at diverting local public opinion from the domestic Syrian problems to the alleged “Israeli threat.”

This afternoon, Syrian artillery again opened up against two Israeli settlements in the Huleh area, firing at farmers and at an Israeli border patrol, and wounding one Israeli border policeman slightly. The settlements attacked, Ashmurah and Notera, were fired upon from the Syrian heights at Djlabinah and Darbashiyeh. The Israelis returned the fire. When dusk fell, United Nations observers obtained a cease-fire.

Israel’s Cabinet discussed the shooting incidents at its weekly meeting. The Cabinet heard reports about the firings. Gen, Yitzhak Rabin, chief of staff of Israel’s armed forces. The political implications were appraised by Mrs. Golda Meir, the Foreign Minister, Israel, which has complained about the incidents to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization is understood to have informed the U.N. it takes “a grave view” of the recurrence of violence at the Syrian frontier.

Gen. Rabin also reported to the Cabinet that he doubts that Abbas Hilmi, the former Egyptian jet pilot who had defected to Israel, is now back in Egypt. Discussing the case, Gen. Rabin told the Government leaders that Hilmi, who had left Israel for Argentina, may have been captured by Egyptians in Argentina. However, he doubted that Hilmi is back in Cairo, as reported last week in a Hebrew language newscast by the Egyptian radio.