Premier Sabry el-Assaly of the less-than-a-week old Syrian Government bitterly attacked the United States and Israel in his first interview since his coming to power, the New York Times reports from Damascus.
“I am not revealing a secret,” the Premier said, “if I say that flooding Israel with American aid will not be viewed with satisfaction either by the governments or Arab peoples. Furthermore, the conscience of the Arab world at least is convinced that in the judgment of history and civilized nations the United States bears the major responsibility for the Palestine catastrophe and its consequences.”
Referring to a United States proposal for a “Tennessee Valley Authority” project in the Syria-Jordan-Israel area, he stated: “I do not believe it can be discussed separately because it constitutes only a secondary part in a total human disaster. The policy of the Syrian governments toward Israel has never changed because it has been inspired by bitter realities. Israel was established on the dead bodies and disasters to Palestine Arab people. All Arab governments and peoples still consider that injustices inflicted upon them as a result of this catastrophe should be removed sooner or later.”
Asked whether Syria would fight if Israel persisted in her project to divert the Jordan River in the demilitarized zone, Premier el-Assaly declared: “Israeli aggressions will be countered with all the strength, at our command. The attempt of Israel to seize Jordan waters will meet the same fate.”
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