Dayan Says Syrian Front- Fighting Unlikely to Become a Major War

Defense Minister Moshe Dayan said on his return from the U.S. today that he did not think the present fighting on the Syrian front would escalate into a major war. “We hope that we shall be able to come Jo an agreement with Syria,” just as Israel and Egypt reached an accord, Dayan said after four days of talks with Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger and other U.S. Administration leaders. (In Washington the State Department indicated concern over Syria’s assaults against Israel. See separate story.)

He said he hoped disengagement negotiations with Syria would start after a Syrian representative visits Washington this month to discuss Damascus’ position with Kissinger. The Israeli position was presented to the Secretary by Dayan last Friday. Dayan said that though there was a wide gap between the two sides, neither one had made acceptance of its views a precondition to talks.

The Defense Minister went immediately to Jerusalem to report on his talks with U.S. officials at a special Cabinet meeting tonight. Before leaving Washington. Dayan told reporters he was “very happy” with U.S. assurances of continue* military aid to Israel. In his talks with the Senators and Defense Secretary James Schlesinger he is known to have discussed the performance of Soviet-made weaponry in Syrian hands compared to U.S. equipment employed by Israel. Dayan also disclosed Israeli intelligence reports that the Soviets were supplying Syria with supersonic NHG-23 jets, reputedly the fastest and highest-flying combat aircraft in the world.

SAPIR CANCELS VISIT TO U.S.

Tonight’s Cabinet meeting is expected to concentrate on the ominous situation developing on ‘the Syrian front. That situation was given as one reason why Finance Minister Pinhas Sapir cancelled his scheduled departure today on a mission to the U.S. on behalf of the United Jewish Appeal. He did not set a new date for his trip. Other reasons for Sapir’s change of plans were believed to be the threat of a new coalition crises sparked by Welfare Minister Michael Hazani’s resignation yesterday and an election reform bill which has its first reading in the Knesset tomorrow.

Even before Dayan landed, he was under criticism by some newspapers here for remarks in Washington indicating that Israel was not overly disturbed by the daily Syrian shelling on the northern front. The newspaper Davar warned that Dayan’s words could be misconstrued by the Syrians as an indication that Israel will remain passive in face of future attacks. Observers here expect the Cabinet to issue strong warnings to the Syrians.