Comay Says Israel-Arab War ‘Not Probable’ in Foreseeable Future

Another Israeli-Arab war "in the foreseeable future is possible, but not probable," Israel’s Ambassador Michael S. Comay declared today. And, because of that possibility, he added, Israel must divert vast sums of money and effort, straining its economy, to maintain deterrent power against Arab attack.

Mr. Comay, Israel’s permanent representative here for the last seven years, who is returning to the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem at his own request, made that statement, among others, in summarazing his U.N. activities before about 60 members of the United Nations Correspondents Association who tendered a farewell luncheon in his honor.

One of his frustrations at the United Nations, Mr. Comay told the newsmen, lay in the fact that, in the 20 years, off and on, that he has been at the U.N. for Israel, he has not once found it possible to meet with an Arab diplomat even on an informal basis. "One day, I hope," he said, "it may be possible for my successors to meet with an Arab here, and such a meeting would be beneficial. Ultimately, accommodation between us and the Arab states is possible."

Asked whether Israel sees any possibility of improving its position vis-a-vis the Soviet Union, Mr. Comay replied: "We would very much like to do so. We have every possible reason for wanting to improve our relations with the USSR." He added that there are two reasons for the present situation as between the Soviet Union and Israel.

"One reason," he said, "is the fact that the USSR has now made very large investments, economic, military and diplomatic, in the Arab world, to the extent that no solution of the Middle East problem would be possible now without the participation of the Soviet Union. The other reason is that Israel, along with the rest of Jewry throughout the world, is deeply concerned about the Jews in the USSR. That issue has come up from time to time right here at the United Nations."

In regard to the matter of United States arms for Israel, Mr. Comay said that "today the only limitation on our acquisition of more arms is financial." He noted that the U.S. policy is that Washington is prepared to avoid an imbalance of arms in the Middle East, thus furnishing arms to some of the Arab states but also not neglecting Israel in that regard.