Israelis See 1967 As a Year of Guerrilla Warfare; Warn Against Escalation

Israel entered the new year with predictions by qualified sources that the country is facing an uneasy year in 1967 — a continuation of a “grey area” of neither war nor peace but instead guerrilla warfare.

The sources said Israel’s task would be to keep such warfare from escalating into large-scale conflict by making it clear to Syria and to Egypt that continuing sabotage might touch off the full-scale war which Egypt, according to its declared policy, does not want now. This was understood to mean that Israel must find means of bringing Egypt to restrain Syrian support of infiltrator raids into Israel.

The same sources also indicated they believed that King Hussein’s regime in Jordan had a good chance of surviving in spite of his many troubles, including Syrian hostility, the El Fatah, and Ahmed Shukairy’s “Palestine Liberation Army” which is now bent on overthrowing the king in Jordan. They said that Israel’s raid on November 13 on Jordan had forced Shukairy to act prematurely against the king and gave King Hussein a chance to hit him severely. Arab Legion troops in Jordan reportedly have fought Shukairy commandoes and have clashed with Syrian infiltrators sent into Jordan on sabotage missions.

The sources repeated Israel’s stand that any change in the status quo in Jordan would be dangerous to Israel and that this was the reason for Israeli concern and close attention to developments in Jordan.

ISRAEL’S CHIEF OF STAFF REPORTS INCREASE IN STRENGTH OF ARMY

Meanwhile, General Yitzhak Rabin, starting his fourth year as Israel’s Chief of Staff, said here that Israel’s military strength had been increased “enormously” during the three years of his service. He indicated that he had considerable doubts about the utility of fences and electronic devices to protect Israel’s borders from Arab saboteurs.

“We did not come to Israel to live behind barbed wire,” he said in an interview with Yediot Achronot, an evening newspaper. “The adoption by Israel of such a ghetto policy would just encourage the Arab saboteurs,” he declared. The strength of such fences, he stated, “depends on how strongly they are guarded.” His views were echoed by informed sources here who said that Israel was planning to erect barbed wire fences but only in places where they would buttress other means of defense.

Gen. Rabin reiterated that Syria and Egypt held the key to future activities of the El Fatah commando raiders and of members of Shukairy’s “Palestine Liberation Army.” He said Israel must make it clear that such incursions should not occur unless Syria and Egypt caught a military confrontation.

The General described Israel’s November 13 raid on Jordan as a demonstration that Israel would not tolerate acts of Arab sabotage. If more such acts occur, he added, Israel would decide on appropriate measures regardless of “outer pressures.” The November 13 raid was censured by the Security Council.