The State Department can “find no evidence that any Arab state is capable or desirous of sustaining an aggressive move against Israel,” Zionist groups from all parts of the country and others complaining to the State Department about the United States policy of arming the Arabs are being told, it was learned here today.
The State Department is sending complainants copies of a form letter from its Public Service Division, dated August 19, which defines United States policy in the Near East.
In the letter, the State Department said that observations of U.S. diplomats bear out public statements by Egyptian Prime Minister Gamel Nasser that Egypt “has no intention or desire to launch an attack against Israel.” It was indicated that the Department will continue to expedite its program for arming the Arabs. “In this area,” it was said, “the Department considers it unrealistic and dangerous to defer preparations for security pending final solution of all disputes which may exist among states in the area.”
The Department maintained that it continues to be friendly to Israel and regards “the step-by-step reduction of tensions between Israel and her Arab neighbors as an essential element in our objective to strengthen the area as a whole. We believe our present policies serve that objective.”
The view was expressed that it is in the security interests of the United States to arm the Arabs. It was noted by the Department that assurances would be required that arms will not be used for aggressive purposes.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
