Newspaper Page Text
Israel says Arab-American
part of assassination plan
by .Joseph Polakoff
I Si’s Washington correspondent
WASHINGTON—The United
States has protested to Israel over the
alleged detention for five weeks
and “mistreatment” of an Arab-
American after his arrest on Feb.
12 in South Lebanon. The Israeli
Embassy in Washington said the
U.S. expressed concerns before it
was aware of all the facts.
Ghazi Debaja of Dearborn,
Mich., a naturalized American
citizen of Lebanese descent, has
alleged in an affidavit filed with
the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv that
he was tortured with electrical
shocks and burnings with a cigar
ette and also beaten. Debaja said
three members of the South Leba
non Army (SLA) took him into
custody after he had arrived from
the U.S. with his 8-year-old son in
Ben Jbail where his parents lived.
The community is three miles from
Israel’s borders. Debaja reportedly
told his interrogator that he had
come to visit his parents and to
purchase $25,000 worth of shoes
and other goods in Lebanon for
later resale in the United States.
The interrogators, he said, in
cluded an Israeli officer whom he
identified as “Yaaki.”
The case became publicly known
when the Washington Post’s front
page revealed what it said were
“confidential” State Department
cables “provided” to it. An in
formed source here told The
Southern Israelite that it was
understood Debaja was now in the
United States.
Bernard Kalb, the State Depart
ment’s spokesman, said, “We reg
istered our strong concerns” to the
government of Israel over “Deba-
ja’s detention without charges,
over lack of consular access, and
more importantly, or should 1 say
most importantly, over the appar
ent mistreatment” of the com
plainant. Kalb replied “No,” when
he was asked if Debaja were tor
tured. “What I am saying is there is
evidence that Mr. Debaja was mis
treated,” Kalb said. “We were not
in a position, based on available
information, to determine who may
have been responsible.”
“The U.S. was not informed of
any specific charges against Deb
aja during his detention,” Kalb
said. “In our numerous contacts
with the Israeli authorities we
expressed our .concerns that an
American citizen was being held
without charges by the Army of
South Lebanon.”
Yossi Gal, a spokesman at the
Israeli Embassy here, said to The
Southern Israelite: “It is quite clear
from all the evidence that this man
Debaja was involved in an attempt
to assassinate four SLA security
officers. He was not just visiting his
family. He carried explosives and a
Kalashnikov rifle with a silencer.
Debaja was detained by the same
security officers he intended to
kill,” Gal added. “Once Israeli
authorities became aware of his
situation, an order was given that
an Israeli officer would be involved
in the case. Debaja was transferred
to El Khaim facilities to be at some
distance from the security officers
believed to be his targets.
“As a result of Israeli question
ing,” Gal continued, “we learned
the Lebanese had used methods
unacceptable to Israel on the pri
soner. We drew the attention of
(SLA) Gen. Lahad to this fact and
it became known to us that the
general applied disciplinary mea
sures against him. .
“All the accusations charging
the Israeli officer with improper
treatment were found to be totally
baseless,” Gal said. “Moreover, in
order to ascertain his physical
condition, he was taken to a doctor
for a comprehensive medical examin
ation. Once he became aware that
his case was being handled by the
American Embassy he withdrew
his earlier confession of complicity
in a mission to assassinate the
officers.”
■Stockholm to honor Wallenberg
PARIS (JTA)—The Stockholm City Council has decided to
re-name a square in Stockholm in honor of Raoul Wallenberg, the
Swedish diplomat who saved more than 100,000 Hungarian Jews
from deportation to Nazi death camps during World War II.
Hag
Sama’ach
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Call Margaret Weiller for more information
FEDERATION WOMEN'S COUNCIL — 1986-87 SLATE OF OFFICERS*
Lois Blonder, President
Vice Presidents
Eve Goldstein
Michal Hillman
Lynda Walker
3-Year Term
Candy Berman
Renee Cobb
Jody Franco
Rita LeVine
Glenda Minkin
Kathy Sachs
Mavis Wener
Sue Winner
Rosanne Zinn
Vice Presidents/Campaign
To Be Appointed
BOARD MEMBERS
2-Year Term
Terri Bagen
Ann Davis
Pearlann Horowitz
Lois Kuniansky
Erna Martino
Barbara Planer
Renee Rinzler
Marcia Schwarz
Bunme Taratoot
Secretary
Sara Zaoan
1-Year Term
Annette Easton
Viki Freeman
Ramona Freedman
Lynne Halpern
Miriam Levitas
Sara Piha
Virginia Saul
Susan Schoenbaum
Morene Seldes
And Presidents of every Jewish Women s Organization in the area encompassed by the Women s Division
Submitted by The Nominating Committee Phyllis Freedmai, Chairwoman
’Additional nominations may be submitted by petition of 5 members to the Chairwoman of the Nominating Committee
within 14 days after the slate has been circulated provided written consent ot the nommeeis) is included
PAGE 3 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE April 18, 1986