Serious concern over the effects on Israel of the Iraqi-Turkish treaty for mutual defense–which was ratified yesterday by the parliaments of both countries–was expressed today in Israel Government circles. It was noted here that the pact confirms the negative attitude of the Arab countries toward Israel.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office here drew attention to the fact that the treaty contains a pledge directed against Israel. Under this pledge, both Iraq and Turkey have obligated themselves “to take measures guaranteeing enforcement of the United Nations resolutions on the Palestine question.” The Arab countries have charged Israel with ignoring the UN resolution on the internationalization of Jerusalem.
“This hostile intent towards Israel, which forms an integral part of the Iraqi-Turkish pact,” the Israel spokesman said, “is a patent statement that the new treaty is liable to encourage Arab belligerent tendencies in their relations with Israel, to foment aggressive ambitions and to undermine peace and stability in the Middle East.”
The spokesman also emphasized the fact that “the treaty lacks a clause which customarily appears in all mutual treaties, whereby both parties undertake to refrain from the use or threat of the use of force in their international relations and to settle all disputes with other states by peaceful means.” This clause is “conspicuously absent” from the treaty, the Israel official pointed out.
ISRAEL PRESS SAYS PACT SPELLS DANGER FOR JEWISH STATE
The pro-government Davar declared today that the signing of the Iraqi-Turkish pact requires greater preparedness on Israel’s part and increased efforts to offset dangers developing from this new development in the Middle East. The editorial insisted that Turkish identification with the official Arab attitude–both on the United Nations partition plan for Palestine and on recognizing the existence of a state of war between the Arab states and Israel–“puts Israel-Turkish relations to a sever test, to our regret.”
The Histadrut newspaper said that the pact cannot improve the possibility of stability or peace in the Middle East, but would increase tension. While the West spoke of restraining Arab aggressiveness, it had actually encouraged it through this pact, Davar added. It stressed that while it might have been expected that Turkey would influence Iraq in this situation, actually the reverse had proved true.
The Jerusalem Post, independent and only English-language newspaper in Israel, commented that Israel, owing to its situation in the middle of the Arab world, could not view this development with “philosophical detachment.” It asked the question: what would Turkey do if Iraq asks for aid in an adventure aimed at implementing the UN partition resolution on Palestine, especially now that Turkey has announced its support of the Arab demands for implementation of the resolution#
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.