Barmore Says Israel Has Greater Sense of Security Than Ever Before

On the eve of Israel’s 24th anniversary, Israel has a greater sense of security than it ever had before, Yaakov Barmore, Israel’s Minister to the United Nations, said last night. Speaking to some 175 people at the New York League for Histadrut, Barmore emphasized that for Israel, 1971 was “a good year.”

There was relative calm on the borders–“We have never been pampered so to that degree,” he noted–and Israel was able to absorb “tens of thousands of Jews from the lands of silence and darkness.” But, he continued, “we still feel we are at the beginning of the road because there are many questions that have not been settled yet.” Barmore stated that the US is now, more than ever before, Israel’s great friend–a source of arms and economic assistance.

He said it was a “pity” that the Arabs and Arab countries have not yet reached the conviction that peace can be attained only by sitting down to discuss peace with Israel. But, he said, there were “rays of light” In the Arab world. The recent municipal elections in the administered territories showed that “many Arabs desire to leave behind all maneuvering; to divorce themselves from submitting to terror and black-mail.”

Jordan, he added, by submitting its plan for a United Arab Kingdom, “which is completely unacceptable to Israel.” has shown Itself undaunted by the threats of Arab neighbors and Arab terrorist groups. Egypt, he commented, is “losing her sway over the Arab nations.” Touching briefly on the problems facing Israel, Barmore noted that “security is still far more important to Israel than peace, and very costly.”