General Yitzhak Rabin, Israel’s Chief of Staff, warned today that, if Jordan joined with Egypt in a joint military command, Israel would take the necessary steps to safeguard itself from the “serious threat.”
The warning was the second from Israeli leaders stemming from Jordan’s recent rapprochement with President Nasser of Egypt. Earlier in the week, Premier Levi Eshkol had warned the Jordanians against any “adventures, ” saying that Israel was keeping a close watch on developments. It was learned recently that Jordan was considering a new water project that could cut off the flow of the Yarmuk, a Jordan River tributary in Jordan, completely from Israel.
General Rabin issued his warning in an interview in the Israel Army publication, “Bama-chaneh.” He asserted that “Egyptian activities in Jordan have created a delicate situation there.” He added that, as long as Jordan did not become “an Egyptian base in one way or another, ” there was little danger to Israel’s security–but that a joint military command would constitute “a serious threat.”
He also repeated a warning to Syria that Israel would not remain inactive in the face of provocations or attempts at a “fait accompli.” He said “we will find means to ensure our rights, even if this requires the use of arms.”
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.
