America Would Not Betray Israel’s Interests, Says Rabin

Israeli Ambassador Itzhak Rabin was quoted as expressing the belief that the U.S. would not betray the interests of Israel in the Four Power talks. The envoy made his views known in an interview with Leon Feldberg, overseas editor of the South African Jewish Times, in response to a question about what he thought of the assertion that America would let Israel down.

“Since I am not an American official, I cannot speak in the name of America,” Gen. Rabin was quoted as replying. “However, I do not believe that America will sell Israel out. Some of the reasons for this stem from its own interests, and some from the way of life and the way of thinking of the American people that cannot accept the destruction of a people and a country–that is, from moral values. That, of course, does not mean that the U.S. and Israel see eye to eye on everything.”

Gen. Rabin was vehement in his criticism of the Four Power talks and told Mr. Feldberg that “since the Big Four are conducting their talks within the UN, nothing positive will come of them.” He asserted that “all that has come out of them so far are formulas, and they will be bogged down as in the past. They cannot bring about real peace as no peace can come about except through the parties involved in the conflict.”

The envoy stressed his belief that “the less Israel is brought into the UN, the better it is for Israel. The UN has no contact with reality. All it brings to the affairs of the Middle East are formulas. Today, countries–especially the big countries–rarely bring their affairs to the UN. Did Russia bring the Czechoslovakian affair? Did America bring Vietnam? The secretariat of the United Nations,” he declared, “should not itself be the solver of problems between nations. It should not be a mediator, but merely a medium for bringing the nations together.” The Ambassador discounted the Jarring mission, asserting that Dr. Jarring had not achieved anything in 16 months. Dr. Jarring, he said, “can be of good service only if the Arabs agree, but not within the secretariat of the UN.”