Israel Quiet on Fighting in Jordan; Guerrilla Victory Might Pose New Danger

A guerrilla take-over of Jordan could lead to a new confrontation with Israel, political observers said here today. The Israeli government has carefully avoided any statement or comment since the current Jordanian crisis began. But in the past it has gone on record as saying that any change in the rule of Jordan would radically alter Israel’s position, observers recalled. As Israelis see it, the Palestinian guerrillas in Jordan are themselves divided. Travel and goods shipments between the West Bank and Jordan, shut down for the Shavuoth holiday yesterday, were resumed today, and Jordanian soldiers made no attempt to halt the traffic. The Jerusalem Post’s Arab Affairs expert, Anan Safadie, said in a radio broadcast today that King Hussein is strong enough to weather the current crisis though he is making serious mistakes. One mistake, according to the Journalist, was the issuance of a joint statement with El Fatah leader Yassir Arafat yesterday implying that his royal authority carried no weight unless countersigned by the leader of a non-governmental group. The meaning of this step may not be lost on the Jordanians or on the Arabs in Israel who mockingly refer to King Hussein as “the Mayor of Amman.”