Newspapers here expressed fear tonight that a new have of persecutions was being launched against the Jews in the Lebanon following publication of reports in the Beirut newspaper, Al Khiyatt, this morning that seven Jews had been arrested in Beirut yesterday on charges of illegal contact with Israel.
According to the Beirut newspaper, a Jewish cotton merchant, Felix Bali, was detained after letters from Israel were found in his possession. He confessed, the paper said, to have been in contact with six other Beirut Jews. The contact was maintained through European countries, according to the charges.
While the correspondence found dealt only with general matters, the paper said, Lebanese security officers were trying to discover their “true meaning.” It said further arrests were expected. Discovery of an alleged pro-Israel espionage ring in the Lebanon was headlined by the press there only a week ago.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
