Behind the Headlines Withdrawal from Sinai Area Evokes Pessimism About Benefits to Israel

As Israel completed its withdrawals in the Sinai today, there was a growing pessimism about the benefits to Israel of the disengagement agreement signed with Egypt last September. The feeling among many Israelis was that Israel had carried out its part of the agreement to the letter but it had seen little results from the other partners to the accord, Egypt and especially the United States.

There have been few signs from Egypt that it wants peace. In fact, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat has said there cannot be any peace between Israel and Egypt in this generation. While Egypt has allowed Israeli cargo to pass through the Suez Canal it has not kept its promise to tone down anti-Israeli propaganda.

But what is really concerning Israelis is the United States and particularly the arms that were promised to Israel from the U.S. Israel’s consent to the agreement was based on American assurances that there would be a steady flow of arms to replace the military advantages Israel had in the Sinai positions it was giving up, according to one Israeli who is an ardent supporter of the U.S.

But he noted that now Israel faces the same delaying tactic that was used by the United States during the Ford Administration’s reassessment that held up arms delivery between the time the disengagement talks broke down in March, 1975 and the time the agreement was signed in September. Promises of almost unlimited U.S. arms, including the Pershing missiles, have resulted in cuts in the U.S. supplies and in delays in shipments. This has jeopardized the planning of the Israel Defense Force which had expected to receive tanks, armored cars and other items at an early date and now must wait at least two more years for them.

OTHER CONCERNS EXPRESSED

Also unexplainable, according to Israelis, is the American decision, seen as adverse to Israel, not to allow Israel to produce parts for the American F-16 on the grounds that it would mean transferring sophisticated American know-how to Israel. There is some perplexity over the real intentions of the U.S. in its refusal to supply Israel with infra-red equipment needed to fight the terrorists.

Israelis are also concerned about what they see as an American attempt to force Israel to accept agreements with the Arabs as a means of improving American influence with the Arab states at the expense of the Soviet Union. They say that the attempt to cut Soviet influence has failed and claim that Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger’s detente program is a one-way street in which the USSR continues to carry out its expansionist plans.

The Israelis note that the Soviet Union is entrenched in Syria, having supplied that Arab state with an unparalleled flow of sophisticated arms and is how making an effort to win over Jordan.

They note the visit of a top Soviet official to Amman last month, the visits of Syrian leaders to the Jordanian capital, the sending of Jordanian troops to Syria for training, and the possibility that Jordan will turn to the Soviet Union for arms All indicate that the USSR is planting roots in Jordan. They note that the U.S. is not checking this advance which it could do by helping Israel maintain the balance of power against the Arab states.

There is also an increasingly disquieting feeling among Israelis that the U.S. is preparing another phase of pressure on Israel through delays of supplies and denials of some items on Israel’s purchasing list. Many Israelis feel that Israel paid the bill in carrying out the withdrawals, but has not received the promised merchandise, not even peace.