The Israeli Chief of Staff. Gen. Mordechai Gur, believes that Israel and its Arab adversaries have become so powerful militarily that either side could go to war on its own initiative regardless of restraining influences by the major powers. If the Arabs decide to go to war against Israel they will not ask permission of the superpowers, Gur said in a Rosh Hashanah eve address on Kol Israel radio.
He said the Arab armies were building themselves up to launch an attack at a moment’s notice. Israel’s strength must be such as to frighten them out of making such an attack, he said. Gur noted that Israel was maintaining careful surveillance of growing Arab armed strength. It is watching their preparations, the nature of their military units, their doctrines of warfare and the types of weapons in their arsenal.
If a war should come, Israel would do everything in its power to make it a short war that would end decisively not only in a victory for Israel’s army but with geopolitical changes in Israel’s favor. Gur said.
Assessing the position of the superpowers in the Middle East, Gur claimed the Soviets were in retreat. He noted that Iraq, in which the USSR has its last foothold in the region, is beginning to turn to the West.
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