A source known to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency to be completely reliable said here today that the United States had asked Israel to go to the aid of embattled King Hussein of Jordan and that Israel refused to do so on grounds that it would consider such action only if its vital interests were directly threatened. The informant also told the JTA that Israel does not now consider the situation as containing that threat, particularly since in the past 24 hours the Jordanian Army seems to be regaining the military initiative in Hussein’s war with the commandos.
(The Christian Science Monitor reported today in a dispatch from Tel Aviv that Israel’s attitude toward the crisis in Jordan was being determined by a new “Allon doctrine,” named for its author. Deputy Premier Yigal Allon, which “would have Israeli forces intervene in Jordan on King Hussein’s side out of pure Israeli self-interest.” According to the Monitor report, the Allon doctrine was quoted as stating that “there are liable to be situations in which Israel might he asked to lend assistance to neighboring nations and regimes which seek peace with Israel and which ask help against domestic or foreign insurgents, or both.” The Monitor report added that this “doctrine” was considered at an “extraordinary meeting” of the Cabinet called less than 24 hours after Premier Golda Meir returned to Israel Monday from a visit to the United States during which she reportedly discussed with President Nixon the Jordanian crisis, among other topics.) Premier Meir was reported today to be in constant contact with her senior advisors and the Defense Ministry over Jordanian developments. The Israeli defense forces were described as in readiness for any eventually.
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.
