Egypt, Fearing Jordan-israel Deal, Breaks Diplomatic Relations with Jordan

Egypt’s official Middle East News Agency, quoted by Beirut radio, announced today that Egypt has broken off diplomatic relations with Jordan. As of this evening the announcement had not been broadcast in Cairo. It said that the decision to break relations with Jordan was taken at a Cabinet meeting this afternoon presided over by President Anwar Sadat.

Beirut radio linked the announcement to the Palestinian Congress, a Fatah-sponsored gathering, which opens in Cairo tonight. Jordan has forbidden its subjects to attend the Congress. West Bank leaders who received invitations last week were warned by the Israeli military government that they would not be re-admitted to the West Bank if they attended. The Congress is expected to reject King Hussein’s recent proposal to establish a federated kingdom linking the east and west banks of the Jordan.

GESTURE, NOT PERMANENT RUPTURE

Observers here viewed the break with Amman as more of a demonstrative gesture by Egypt than a permanent rupture between the two countries. They said its apparent motivation was to show the Arab world that the initiative for solving Arab problems remains with Egypt and cannot be usurped by anyone else.

The observers said that Hussein obviously Irritated Cairo by advancing his federation proposal without prior consultation with Egypt. They said that just as Hussein fears that Egypt may conclude deals over Jordan’s head, Cairo fears that Hussein may conclude deals behind Egypt’s back.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated in the past almost to the point of rupture but diplomatic relations were never broken by either side. Most of the serious differences in the past occurred before the June, 1967 Six-Day War. Last summer, however, Egypt and Iraq sided with the Palestinian guerrillas who were being driven out of Jordan by Hussein’s troops. Egypt did not sever relations but sought to play a mediator’s role between Hussein and the terrorists.