Herzog: Undue Pessimism About Future of Israel Unwarranted; Arab Efforts Thwarted

Dr. Yaacov Herzog, director-general of the Israeli Prime Minister’s office, said yesterday that after three years the Arabs have not achieved any of their aims. He told the World Conference of Jewish Organizations (COJO) holding its annual meeting here, the aims have been the piercing of the ceasefire lines; undermining of Israeli morale through terrorist activities; achievement of international support for their position on Israeli withdrawal without peace, or against the maintenance of the finance of arms in the area. “The Soviet escalation was a direct result of the failure of President Nasser’s war of attrition, the dangers this war had brought to Nasser’s regime and Nasser’s failure to assert his hegemony in the Arab world,” Dr. Hertzog said. “Undue pessimism at present is as inaccurate and dangerous as facile over-optimism in the past.”