Nixon Says United States Should Aid Israel to Establish Military Superiority

Richard M. Nixon, the Republican Presidential nominee, in his most detailed statement on the Middle East crisis to date, called on the United States last night to tip the balance of military power in favor of Israel over the Arabs. He warned that an exact balance of power between the two adversaries “would run the risk that potential aggressors might miscalculate and would offer them too much of a temptation.” Mr. Nixon addressing the triennial convention of B’nai B’rith, said his proposed policy for the Middle East “would give Israel a technological military margin to more than offset her hostile neighbors’ numerical superiority” and would supply Israel with supersonic Phantom jet lighter-bombers if they were required to maintain her military superiority.

The former Vice President maintained that the U.S. must render military support to Israel to meet the challenge of Soviet penetration into the Middle East. He termed America’s interest in that region greater than in Viet Nam and declared that “we must make it crystal clear that the stake of the free world in the Middle East is great; we must impress upon the Soviets the full extent of our determination and then, and only then, will we cause them to re-examine their own policy to avoid a collision course.” Mr. Nixon said that the United States’ “firm and unwavering commitment to the national existence of Israel” was not determined by a bid for Jewish votes but was undertaken because “Americans believe in the self determination of nations, because Israel is threatened by Soviet imperialism and a because she has displayed guts, patriotism, idealism and a passion for freedom.”

He said that while it would be a mistake for Israel to take “formal and final” possession of all occupied territories, “it is not realistic to expect Israel to surrender vital bargaining counters in the absence of a genuine peace and effective guarantees.” He thought the United States “should assert some leadership in bringing about talks, first with the moderate Arab leaders and later with the militants.” He denounced the anti-Semitic propaganda emanating from Moscow following the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. Mr. Nixon said, however, that Soviet anti-Semitism was linked with Soviet designs in the Middle East.