The impact of the Czech-Egyptian arms deal on the thinking of Israel’s political leaders was reflected today in an article in Haboker by Dr. Peretz Bernstein, head of the General Zionist Party and former Minister of Trade and Industry, in which the centrist leader does not rule out preventive war as an Israel policy.
Heretofore, a preventive war against Egypt before Czech arms deliveries irrevocably upset the balance of power had been advocated only by the Herut Party. But Dr. Bernstein said today that, as a result of the new situation, consideration of a preventive war instead of waiting for the Arab countries to be strengthened so that they would be able to wipe out Israel could not be excluded.
“An Arab war against Israel is not similar to a war between one country and another when important issues are solved by the force of arms,” Dr. Bernstein declared. “But an Arab war against Israel means if Israel loses the destruction of the state and the annihilation of the population in Hitler style. The world did not weep after the annihilation of six million Jews and it won’t weep after the annihilation of Israel.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
