Arab Press, Radio Link U.S. Grant of Missiles to Israel with Cuba Issue

Elements of the Arab press and radio, citing the supply of Hawk missiles by the United States to Israel, are attacking the American quarantine of Cuba, it was established here today. The Damascus, Syria, newspaper, “Sawt al-Arab, ” said: The White House decision to provide this imperialist prop (Israel) with up-to-date supersonic missiles, and to grant it more loans and financial and economic aid, represents the climax of the hostile attitude adopted by United States imperialism toward the Arabs.”

(At the United Nations, experts today stressed inconsistencies in the position being taken by the Arab states on the Russo-American crisis centered about Cuba. The Arabs have been critical of United States action in imposing a naval quarantine on Cuba to prevent the further delivery of thermonuclear weapons to the island. They support proposals for United Nations pressure on the United States to halt any action until the UN will have had opportunity to consider the situation. The Arabs voice strong criticism of the naval quarantine imposed by the United States while, at the same time they continue a long-standing complete economic blockade of Israel.

(Arabs at the UN have not hesitated to combine their criticism of Washington’s Cuba policy with attacks on Washington’s alleged bias in favor of Israel, as reflected in the agreement to supply Israel with defensive missiles. A veteran observer ironically noted that the Arab States, which flatly refuse to sit down at the peace table with Israel, were piously advising the United States to sit down with the Soviet Union and seek pacific settlement of their differences.)

The Damascus newspaper, which reflects the Syrian Government views, said that “placing these up-to-date weapons, that are ready for aggression, at Israel’s disposal–at a time when Israel is announcing its determination to complete the final phase of the project to divert the course of the Jordan River to the Negev desert by force; and at a time when the United Nations will begin debating the United States Johnson Plan, which is primarily designed to rehabilitate the Palestine Arab refugees and finally liquidate the Palestine problem–clearly reveals how terrible the new United States plot against the Arabs is.”

According to “Sawt al-Arab,” the Arabs, who through their own experiences have become aware of the intentions of United States imperialism and its aggressive actions against them, expected this kind of overt antagonism and plotting. “All Arabs,” it stated, “are asked to counter the plot about which Syria gave the alarm, in order to reveal to the world the true nature of United States imperialism and the intentions of Zionism, the usurper of Palestine.”