Enemies Chat Across Suez About Girls and Home

ALONG THE SUEZ CANAL, Israeli‐Occupied Sinai, Nov. 9 —In the dark, moonless night, the voices carried easily over the still waters of the canal.

“Are you sleeping, Abra ham?” a voice called in Eng lish from the Egyptian bank.

“No, just dreaming, Ali,” came the answer from the Israeli side.

“Where Is Illana?” the Egyptian voice continued. “I didn't see her today. You know how I miss her.”

“She went south today,” the Israeli soldier replied. “She'll be back, Ali.”

This exchange and others like it have become part of the nightly routine in recent months along Israel's most placid cease‐fire line: the Suez Canal. Fighting the bore dom that afflicts them both, the Israeli and Egyptian sol diers manning the positions along the clogged and unused canal fill the still night with idle conversation.

The tenor of their talk has changed in recent months, according to senior officers here, and the change reflects the more relaxed atmosphere that has prevailed along the canal since July, when sev eral thousand Soviet advisers and missile technicians were withdrawn from the Egyptian bank.

“The rancor has drained out of the conversations,” a re gional commander explained. “Before they used to curse one another and sometimes the arguments led to shoot ing. Now, it's small talk about their girl friends and their homes. The tension is gone.”

In some cases, the soldiers have come to know each other well. The Israeli called Abra ham (that is not his real name, but the name he uses with the Egyptian, who is probably not named Ali, either) told a visitor the other day that he has grad ually learned a lot about Ali's family and life.

“He says he has eight broth ers and sisters, which I be lieve,” the soldier said, “and two girl friends, one in Cairo, one in Alexandria, which I don't believe.”

Illana is a Soldier

Illana, the Israeli explained, is the name the Egyptian has given to an Israeli woman sol dier who visits the outpost frequently to give the bored soldiers instruction in leather craft. She is a trim young woman, he said, and has caught the eye of Egyptian soldiers along the length of the canal.

The two men sometimes talk politics during the quiet nights, but seldom seriously. Their ex change the other night was typical.

“When are you coming to see me in Tel Aviv?” the Israeli asked.

“When we liberate the Pales tinian homeland,” the Egyptian replied.

“I can't wait that long,” the Israeli said.

“Tomorrow, Abraham, to morrow,” was the reply.

During the days, which are bright and crisp in November, the Israeli lookouts keep a close eye on the Egyptian bank, watching for ?? and troop movements. The Egyptian town of Ismailia, on the western side of the canal, is near this point.

Although there has been no fighting along the canal since the American‐sponsored cease fire went into effect on Aug. 7, 1970, the Egyptians have been waging a propaganda war across the waterway in recent months.

Broadcasts Across Canal

Using huge loudspeakers across from the Israeli strong points, they have been broad casting polemical messages in Hebrew intended to weaken Israeli morale.

Most of the messages dwell on such issues as the conflict between the dark‐skinned Ori ental Jews and the lighter skinned Ashkenazic or Euro pean, Jews, and on the harsh weather in the Sinai Peninsula.

Recently, however, the broad casts have become more sophis ticated. Tapes have been played that purport to be the voices of some of the 10 Is raeli pilots and airmen who have been held in Egypt since before the cease‐fire.

The psychological‐warfare ef fort seems to be having little or no effect on the Israelis. Most seem to regard the clum sily worded messages as comic rather than persuasive—a mild form of entertainment in a spot where amusement is scarce.

One colonel, a regional com mander, dismissed the broad casts as a farce, “These are highly motivated soldiers, many of whom fought hard to get to this bank of the canal,” he said. “They're not going to be talked off it by recorded messages.”