Foreign Minister Yigal Allon flatly accused the United States yesterday of arming Israel’s Arab adversaries while suspending arms deals with Israel. Addressing the Knesset in response to agenda motions by Likud, Allon charged that the American deal to supply Jordan with surface-to-air “Hawk” missile systems and anti-aircraft guns “strengthens the military power of that country and increases its ability to become a partner to Egypt and Syria’s military option.”
He also warned that the continuous flow of American military aid to Saudi Arabia posed a definite threat to the balance of power in the Middle East.
Israel, declared Allon, is entitled to expect that while the U.S. was suspending arms deals with Israel “it would do the same with respect to Jordan” pending its reassessment of Middle East policy. Allon’s remarks were viewed by many observers here as an unprecedented attack by a Foreign Minister of Israel on the U.S. Allon, who visited Washington only last month for talks with Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger, also criticized the U.S. for postponing a planned visit by Defense Minister Shimon Peres while at the same time discussing defense-related subjects with Arab countries.
“The timing and background of the U.S.-Jordan arms deal will serve as an encouragement to extremist factors in the Arab world to push the Arab stated in the direction of war,” Allon said. He added: “The government of Israel is aware of the problems and dangers I have cited and is doing everything necessary in order to cope with them.”
Eliezer Beeri, of Likud; said the U.S. supply of weapons to the Arab countries made it all the more logical for Israel to consider a pre-emptive policy. Yehuda Shaari of the Independent Liberal Party, rejected such a policy and proposed that Israel find new ways to reach a break-through for a Middle East settlement. He observed, however, that “It would be most peculiar to find American ‘Hawks’ (in Jordan) bringing down American ‘Phantoms'” of Israel.
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.
