Former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger supported the Carter Administration’s proposed sales of advanced jet aircraft to Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today. But he expressed “regret that what had been a separate commitment to Israel… has been put in a package with other countries” and that the package was introduced directly after Israeli-Egyptian peace negotiations broke down.
Kissinger stressed the historic “fundamental commitment we have had to Israel based on common moral bonds” and recommended that the 15 F-15 fighter-bombers now earmarked for Israel be increased to 35 in order to balance the package. However, Kissinger warned the 16 Foreign Relations Committee members that “to attempt to turn down any part of this package under present circumstances could have serious foreign policy consequences” for the U.S.
ISRAEL’S SECURITY IS PARAMOUNT
The former Secretary of State appeared before the committee on the fourth and final day of its hearings on the controversial aircraft sales program. He was questioned closely on the commitments given to the three Middle Eastern countries during his tenure as Secretary of State. He made it clear that the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security was paramount.
“Seven Presidents since the founding of the State of Israel have affirmed that which has been our historical commitment to the survival and security of the State of Israel,” he said. “Each of these Presidents, supported by the Congress, has put forward programs to accomplish this objective. This is the fundamental commitment we have had to Israel based on common moral bonds.”
Kissinger explained that after the Sinai interim agreement of September 1975, the U.S. agreed “to consider sympathetically” Israel’s request for planes “growing out of the changed military situation.” He said the Sinai agreement and the proposed planes sale were not linked. He advised that now “the Israeli part of the package must inevitably be affected by the level of arms in other countries of the area, even if that level is the result of American action.”
He described Israel’s share of the proposed package as “at the very lowest point of the spectrum” and, replying to questions from the panel, said 35 F-15s to Israel could be considered a balanced package.
He spoke favorably of the projected sale of 50 F-5E jets to Egypt. “I believe President (Anwar) Sadat has played one of the historical roles of our period,” Kissinger said. “He has moved his country from a position of confrontation with the United States to a position of cooperation. He has been the first Arab leader who has undertaken responsibility for peace, first in the disengagement negotiations and then in the historic trip to Jerusalem…. In the process, he has broken his military relationship with the Soviet Union, a relationship which has contributed so much to the tensions of the Middle East.”
Kissinger noted further that Egypt is under pressure from the radical Arab states and deserves American support. “I agree with the proposal on its merits and commend it to this committee,” he said.
CIRCUMSPECT ABOUT SAUDI ARABIA
Kissinger was more circumspect over the proposed sale of 60 F-15s to Saudi Arabia. He indicated that the Carter Administration exaggerated when it asserted that those sales represented a commitment to the Saudis by the previous administration.
“It is true that Saudi Arabia was told by the Secretary of Defense in October, 1976 that the plane that they preferred was appropriate and that a request could be submitted, ” he said. But there was no formal request and no agreement as to the timing or numbers of planes. He said there was no reason to doubt that Saudi Arabia is “primarily concerned” with potential threats from its neighbors.
“It is equally inevitable that Israel will tend to look at this in terms of its security and it is not unreasonable for Israel to ask for consideration to be given to those consequences, ” Kissinger said.
He noted that “We have our traditional relationship with Israel which would be unfortunate to see challenged. We also have a friendship with Egypt and Saudi Arabia which is essential to the security of the Middle East and therefore our security,” he said. He observed that “for all of these reasons, I hope that we can avoid a devisive debate in the Congress on this issue.”
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