“unfortunate Repercussions” for Israel Seem As Result of Abdullah’s Assassination

The assassination of King Abdullah of Jordan could have “unfortunate repercussions” for Israel and brings closer the danger that Arab extremists may be spurred to another round of the Palestine war. It will make the task of turning the Palestine truce into a genuine peace more difficult.

This is the opinion expressed today in the leading New York newspapers. Analyzing the situation created by the death of the Jordan ruler, the New York Times says his passing is unquestionably a loss to Israel. It emphasizes Abdullah’s “peaceful inclinations toward Israel, in contradiction to the proclaimed policies of most of the other Arab states.” Other newspapers comment in a similar vein.

United Nation circles made no secret of their concern over the consequences of Abdullah’s assassination. They pointed out that since the end of the war between Israel and her Arab neighbors, peace in the area has hung in precarious balance, with King Abdullah as a stabilizing factor. They expressed fear that Abdullah’s assassination might give encouragement to ultra-nationalist Arabs.

DETAILS OF ABDULLAH’S PEACE TALKS WITH ISRAEL REVEALED

The New York Times reveals that during the Arab-Israeli truce negotiations under Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, United Nations Mediator, at Rhodes, delegates from Tel Aviv conferred secretly with Abdullah and his aides at the King’s summer palace at El Shun. The Jordanian ruler sought a permanent settlement with Israel that would grant him an outlet to the Mediterranean at Gaza, with a strip of territory linking that port to Jordan. However, since Gaza was and is in Egyptian hands, the project failed.

Then, Abdullah tried to persuade Tel Aviv to cede a strip of Israeli territory north of Gaza. Israel objected to this, because Jordan demanded too wide a corridor, which would be settled by Arabs and would cut Israel off from the Negeb. Various formulas were examined, including one project to create a strip similar to the United States Canal Zone in Panama. These talks broke off, but contact remained. Later on, a second set of negotiations started but bogged down on trade relationships. Israel offered Abdullah free port rights at Haifa, but the Jordanian ruler feared his country would be boycotted by the other Arab states.

He then proposed a five-year nonaggression pact between Amman and Tel Aviv, including freezing of the de facto frontiers (Jordan obtained a large piece of Arab Palestine as a result of the war and added this to her realm). It was suggested that joint guarantees would be given for the Holy Places and free access by citizens of both lands to Mount Scopus and Bethlehem. Abdullah’s political leaders objected to this formula. Conversations–which, incidentally, wore always held in Arabic–continued, but nothing concrete emerged. Politically, the project was too explosive.