Editorials in U.S. and London in General Sympathy with Israel’s Incursion into Lebanon

New York City’s two major dailies likened Israel’s thrust into Lebanon yesterday to America’s invasion of Cambodia. The right-wing oriented Daily News applauded the Israeli action. The Times, which strongly opposes the Cambodian venture, took a cautionary view of Israel’s latest raid. The Times warned that the “continuing crisis in the Middle East…is even more perilous than the escalating Indo-China conflict.” The editorial continued, “As in Southeast Asia, punitive attacks against enemy forces operating behind other people’s borders–though thoroughly understandable–are likely to do more political harm than good in the Mideast.” The Daily News took notice of Israel’s repeated warnings to Lebanon by “the seemingly unsinkable Gen. Moshe Dayan” and said, “We’re for Israel in this set-to.” The editorial thought it would be “wonderful” if America could “trade” Sen. Jacob K. Javits, an opponent of the Vietnam war, for Gen. Dayan.

The Washington Daily News said today in an editorial that Israel’s raid against Arab guerrilla bases in southern Lebanon is a “reminder (as if one were needed) of how easily all-out war could engulf the Middle East.” The editorial also noted that the only hope for peace is Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban’s broadcast last week in which he said that if the Arabs would agree to a real and lasting peace, Israel would startle the world with its concessions. The London Times declared today that Israel was “wrong” to launch its drive into Southeast Lebanon. “The best they can hope for,” the newspaper said, is a few months respite. Unfortunately, the policy of reprisal is so firmly established and extremism has so great an ascendency in Israel that they have not learned and cannot learn the obvious lesson of other raids.” “The final result of their policy,” the paper continued, “is a situation much worse than the one it tries to remedy.” The (London) Daily Telegraph asserted that “Israel, surrounded and vastly outnumbered in men and weapons, must either retain advantage by superior fighting ability or else go down.” Thus, the paper said, the attack must be viewed in the context of the Soviet escalation in Egypt. The (London) Guardian said the Israeli raid was “understandable and justifiable,” but that only a cease fire would bring peace.