Arab-israeli Disputes Still Defy Settlement, House Group is Told

Raymond A. Hare, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, testified today before the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the Arab-Israel dispute “continues to defy settlement.” He said: “The past year witnessed no serious increases in tension or outbreaks of violence between the parties, however, and most states of the area are increasingly preoccupied with developmental and other internal problems.”

He declared: “Most of the states of the Near East have continued to make economic and social progress, despite the political tensions that surround and often embroil them. It is a restless area, sensitive to the stirrings of Arab nationalism and still caught up politically, economically and emotionally in the persistent Arab-Israel dispute.”

Mr. Hare noted that attention in the Middle East remained focused on the Yemen situation, and that an agreement to settle that problem has yet to be implemented, and declared: “Another source of concern to which we continue to devote considerable attention is the arms rivalry throughout the Near East.”

The high official told the committee: “It remains our policy to support the independent integrity of all states in the area. We continue to work with them in helping bring about the conditions of stability in which an enduring Middle East peace can be achieved, and in aiding them to recognize Communist blandishments for what they are Most of these nations have shown the will and ability to resist Communist penetration. By supplying selective economic assistance, we are making it possible for many Near Eastern countries to register real economic growth and, thereby, meet the aspirations of their people for greater opportunities and a higher standard of living.”