Dayan gives warning

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33391, 26 November 1973, Page 15

Dayan gives warning

<N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright > JERUSALEM, November 25. The Israeli Minister of Defence (General Moshe Dayan) said last night that Egypt might renew the fighting in an effort to drive Israel back across the Suez Canal.

“Egypt considers itself to be strong now, and it may try to open fire in order to push us out of the West Bank of the Suez Canal,” he said. Speaking to a delegation of i British Jews in Jerusalem, the Minister said Egypt and( Syria had already replenished I the losses in aircraft and ( tanks they suffered in the] October war. He said that international guarantees could not serve as a substitute for real security, and if faced with a choice between a doubtful peace, even with international guarantees of security, he would choose real security, i

He repeated his belief that secure borders could not be those that existed before 1967.

General Dayan said he was grateful for the aid Israel had received from the United States during the war, but added: "I know that America helped us in the war, but I don’t know how much America will help us in peace.”

Israel should be prepared to quarrel with the United States about its secure borders, should this become necessary he said.

General Dayan’s statement that Israel should not withdraw came within hours of a warning by the Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar Gadaffi, who said in Paris last night that, unless Israel withdrew from :cupied Arab territories, the Middle East conflict would flare up anew. During Colonel Gadaffi’s five-hour debate with French political leaders, he clashed with th_ French Prime Minister, Mr Pierre MendesFrance, over peace and war in the Middle East. Colonel Gadaffi accused Mr Mendes-France of being one-sided, and suggested that, unless the world adopted an even-handed

policy, there was no alternative but for the Arabs to continue the fight. The Libyan leader said that the way Mr Mendes-France ! saw the Arab-Israeli problem would only lead to war. I "Unless you admit that the Palestinian people were (spoliated, there is no alternative but to fight,” he was quoted as saying.