Israel will avoid an open confrontation with the Reagan Administration over its plans to sell $300 million in advanced weaponry to Saudi Arabia, political observers here believe. The government will continue, however, to maintain its long-standing objection in principle to the sale of U.S. arms to avowed enemies of Israel.
That policy appeared implicit in a statement just issued by the Prime Minister’s Office which asserted that “reports according to which Israel has intimated to the U.S. that it will not oppose the arms deal with Saudi Arabia have no basis. Israel adheres to its opposition to arms sales to countries that are in a state of war with it — a stand well known to the U.S. Administration.”
According to observers, this means Israel will not mobilize its supporters in Congress and the U.S. Jewish community for a knock-down, drag-out fight such as it waged — and lost — in 1981 against the sale of AWACS reconnaissance planes to Saudi Arabia. Israel had more success late last year when Reagan was forced to shelve proposed arms sales to Jordan, which ran into overwhelming bi-partisan opposition in both houses of Congress.
There were strong reservations among the legislators over the arms deal with Jordan, apart from Israel’s opposition to it. The government doubtlessly hopes the same reservations will manifest themselves when the Saudi arms sale comes up.
Reagan did not mention the Saudi arms deal when he met with American Jewish leaders at the White House on March 5. But Assistant Secretary of State Richard Murphy, who spoke to the group afterwards, said the Administration was “committed” to selling the Saudis arms.
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