The Press FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1966. Israel’s Challenge To Syria

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31196, 21 October 1966, Page 10

The Press FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1966. Israel’s Challenge To Syria

Two months ago the Israeli Chief of Staff, General Rabin, who had charged Syria with organising terrorism and sabotage against Israel, said that in future Syria would be held responsible for all acts of aggression even if they came through other Arab States. There is little reason to doubt that the Syrian Government, in spite of warnings, has continued to organise and even extend guerrilla activities against Israel. Israel in July unsuccessfully sought United Nations intervention by way of a Security Council resolution condemning Syrian raids across her borders. Now her attitude has hardened, to the extent that the Government has offered the Syrian Government a choice between a non-aggression pact and militarv retaliation should there be no change of policy in Damascus. If the attacks were continued, Mr Eshkol has said—apparently with full support from Parliament —Israel would invoke the right of self-defence conferred by the United Nations Charter.

There is nothing in the Israeli record in the face of Arab hostility to suggest that the Government will not be as good as its word. It may be expected, however, that restraints on Syria will come from other Arab capitals, where a full-scale challenge of Israeli strength must be regarded as untimely as well as militarily unwise. At the moment the Arab States are far from united: and in any action against Israel Arab unity would be the first requirement. Syria itself, because of its chronic political instability, has virtually become a battleground for Arab rivalries. The ruling Ba athist socialists are sharply divided. Coup has succeeded coup, weakening the army from within and involving neighbouring States, usually against their will, in the need to indicate where their political preferences or sympathies might lie.

The Soviet Union, in spite of having warned Israel not to attack Syria, can have no wish to be involved. The Kremlin has provided arms and money for Syria, as for other Arab countries, but has not been impressed by Syria’s failure to resolve its political problems and work constructively with its Arab neighbours. As has been suggested Israel, should the present crisis worsen, will assuredly accept boldly any military challenge that is forced upon it. Numerically Israel cannot match the Arab States acting in concert. But in training, morale, and quality of equipment its armed forces would be a formidable opponent. Knowledge of that is likely, more than anything else, to restrain the Syrian Government from pushing its border provocations beyond the point of no return.