No Thaw In The Middle East

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31762, 20 August 1968, Page 12

No Thaw In The Middle East

Israel understandably remains sceptical of so-called peace overtures from Cairo and of Arab good faith in general. Hopes expressed a few weeks ago that the Kremlin might be interesting itself in assisting an Arab-Israeli settlement have been disappointed. President Nasser, now back in Russia for treatment of an unspecified illness, returned to Cairo from his recent visit to Moscow apparently in a more intransigent mood than ever; and the assumption must be that he was there encouraged to reject recognition of Israel. Earlier, his Foreign Minister, Mr Riad, was reported as saying that recognition had been decided on in the interests of peace. Although the United Nations mediator, Mr Jarring, is continuing his efforts to bring the Arabs and Israelis together, he has still had no success, after eight months, in breaking the deadlock on the application of the United Nations resolution of last November.

On a smaller scale, the provocations that preceded the swift destruction of Arab power in June of last year are now being repeated. Guerrilla raiding from Jordan into Israeli territory has persisted, and has provoked retaliation, the latest “incident” being the bombing, early this month, of Salt, only 10 miles from Amman and described as the headquarters of the Palestine Liberation Organisation. After this attack, Israel’s representative listed for the United Nations 100 Arab violations of the cease-fire in a period of five weeks up to the beginning of August President Nasser, far from suggesting either peace or compromise, recently described the commandos as “ the glory of Palestine “ and a challenge to the enemy ”, King Hussein may well take another view, since his country is the one that suffers most retaliation for the commando raiding.

The King’s position is one of extreme difficulty. To deny the use of terrorist bases in Jordan would be read as breaking faith with the Arab cause. King Hussein would no doubt like to withdraw into a discreet neutrality. It is manifestly impossible for him to do so, and survive. On August 2 the influential Egyptian newspaper, “Al Ahram”, made clear the King’s dilemma by praising his courage in balancing “ flexibility ” towards Israel with enough “ resistance ” in co-existing with the Arab liberation movement It seems a question how long Israel can or will tolerate an attitude so equivocal. Behind the reprisal policy, indeed, may be the hope that Jordan will collapse under the strain. The Israelis would like to see the kingdom neutralised and out of the struggle. The Arabs want it to remain the spearhead of resistance.

There are other symptoms of decline into the pre-war pattern of Arab-Israeli, relations. The consequences of the change of government in Iraq cannot yet be foreseen. The deposed President Aref had joined in shaping a common military policy between Iraq, Jordan, and Syria, and Iraq’s 17,000 troops in Jordan have been aiding the commandos If the new Government has isolationist leanings and is determined to apply itself to domestic improvement, so much the better.

On the other hand, there is obviously to be no abatement of Algerian hostility to Israel. The detention of an Israeli aircraft, seized in flight by Arab terrorists and diverted to Algiers, has angered Israel The Algerian Foreign Minister talked hypocritically a few days ago of his Government’s wish to find a “satisfactory solution”, and said the incident was still being investigated. The members of the Boeing’s crew and the five Israeli passengers have been held m Algiers since July 23.. The Israeli Prime Minister Mr Eshkol is demanding their immediate release’ and insists that there is nothing to investigate, since they are the victims of an act of piracy Most of these causes of Israeli retaliation are provoked deliberately by Arab policy. It is not a propitious atmosphere for Mr Jarring’s patient efforts.