New war probable, Israel says

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33693, 16 November 1974, Page 17

New war probable, Israel says

(N.?. P A Reuter-Copyright CHICAGO. Xoxember 15. The Israeli Minister of Information ( Mr Aharon \ ari\ said today that another Middle East war was possible, excn probable, but Israel would do its best to avoid such a step.

“I think we can have; peace in the Middle East only through a process of mutual recognition and concessions,” Mr I Yariv told a press conference. Mr Yariv was asked I whether another Middle East war was inevitable. “I will never say war is inevitable. but 1 will say war is possible, unfortunately,” Mr Yariv replied. “We will (do our best to avoid this. I “War is possible, even probable, because of the tone of radicalism set in the Arab world by the success, of Mr Arafat at the Arab isummit conference in Rabat. Morocco.” Mr Yasser Arafat, leader lof the Palestine Liberation Organisation, was chosen by: Arab leaders at Rabat to be I the sole representative of the; [Palestinian people. In a llspeech before the United Nations General Assembly! jhe called for a Palestine! yState grouping Moslems. qJews and Christians. Mr Yariv reiterated the ■jstand that Israel would never (negotiate with the P.L.O. be- ■ i cause its aim was the dishappearance of Israel. President Suleiman Franjieh of Lebanon warned the General Assembly that a new ground of war in the Middle tjEast could assume global : dimensions. I He said that all the terriItories seized by Israel by force of arms must be re-

(Stored and he called Israelii (reprisal attacks on southern [Lebanese targets vindictive 1 and murderous assaults which threatened his counI try’s security. At the same time, in casing for courage and wisdom in the quest for a Middle East solution, he said: "Wei are perhaps, and we can be at a threshhold of a dynamic process of true peace.” In Jerusalem. Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister and; Foreign Minister (Mr Yigal Alton) said that "the one and only aim of the Arab terror 1 ist gang is the liquidation cd i Israel.” Mr Alton summoned the! (ambassadors of friendly 1 countries to tell them of Israel’s angry reaction to the, . General Assembly address t>> I Mr Arafat. He appealed to the'mvoys .Ito get their countries to: . avoid encouraging Arab exi tremists who were pushing! I the Middle East towards a (new war. II Mr Alton referred to the .'P.L.O. as "the Arab terrorist organisation” and Mr Arafat ■ as “terrorist leader.” On alert Israeli forces last night • maintained a high state of readiness along the northern ■ frontier with Lebanon after I last night’s guerrilla rocket attacks on two Israeli border towns and an Israeli raid ’ into Lebanon in which the Army said five commandoes

(buildings destroyed warned Israelis to expect mic measures than those introduced earlier this week to ithe balance of payments gap. Bear-hug Prime Minister (Dr Fidel .Castro) gave Mt Aralal i bear-hug greeting when he Mr Arafat, whose life has been threatened by exttem- ( York. e 'left the°cffv 'ecr ib before dawn to fly to Cuba .with 13 other members of Ithe P.L.O s delegation to the 'United Nations. They expect to stay in Cuba as Dr Castro’s guests ' until Saturday or Sunday, when they will flv back to :|the Middle East. >' The General Assembly will resume its Palestine debate ■I today, with Jordan listed I among the speakers and t Israel confined to a 1 flminute right of reply at the end of the day. i Ugandan visit f I An eight-man economic delegation from South Korea 1! arrived in Kampala yesterII day on a five-day economic > survey. — Kampala, Novem--iber 15.