Israel’s Security Imperilled by Iraqi Coup, American Press Believes

The revolt in Iraq, described editorially by the New York Times today as “a stunning blow to the Western democracies” and as “a major crisis” by the New York Journal American, imperils the State of Israel, according to editorial writers and commentators in many American newspapers.

Writing in the New York Times Arthur Krock warned today that the overthrow of the Iraqi Government “undoubtedly has exposed Jordan and Israel to grave new dangers.” The Journal-American asserted that success of the pro-Nasser coup in Israel has “enormously increased the threat against the security of Israel.” The New York Daily Mirror editorially noted that the coup d’etat, carried “peril to Turkey, Iran and Israel.”

The New York Post emphasized in its editorial today that Israel was the ultimate target of Nasser’s maneuvers in the Middle East. “Let it be recognized that the ultimate target of the present Nasser advance is the only democratic outpost in the Middle East – the Republic of Israel,” the paper said. “Only a clear guarantee of Israel’s borders today may avert the climactic assault tomorrow. Will we again wait until the blowup is at hand and then profess to be shocked at the news?”

Columnist David Lawrence, writing in the New York Herald-Tribune, placed responsibility for the Iraqi revolt on the Soviets. He accused them of having instigated the revolt. “They have increased Nasser’s power. They have also intensified their threat to take over the whole Middle East through their stooge, Nasser of Egypt.”

The Wall Street Journal, which was sharply critical of the breakdown of American intelligence sources on the Iraq developments, noted that “the junta which murdered key officials and took over the government was undoubtedly inspired by Cairo, encouraged by Moscow. It was, make no mistake about it, a defeat, for the U.S. policy in the Middle East.”

The Washington Post said editorially today that “the State Department has sought to uphold and support friendly governments in the Near East, but the very friendliness of those governments for the West appears to have contributed in some measure to their loss of support at home. Irritation with most of the Western Powers runs deep in the Arab world because of their support of the beleaguered State of Israel.”