Sen. Charles Percy, the liberal Republican from Illinois who Foreign Ministry officials describe as “a friend of Israel,” conveyed a friendly warning to Israel today that it could not count on American support if Israel launched a pre-emptive war. Percy arrived here yesterday at the end of a 10-day Middle East tour that took him to several Arab capitals. He is accompanied by his wife, Lorraine.
The Senator told Israeli newsmen that American public opinion has undergone a change. “It is no longer Israel right or wrong, but only when Israel is right,” he said. He warned that if extremists on either side pushed for a pre-emptive strike leading to war “they will be remembered as the villains of the Mideast.” Any side that makes a pre-emptive strike will lose American support and the U.S. would then step into support the country that was attacked, Percy said.
He said that contrary to what is widely believed in Israel, the Arab leaders he met “expressed virtually universal acceptance of Israel’s sovereignty and right to peace and security.” He said one Arab leader, who he did not name, told him explicitly that Israel has now won the right to sovereignty. Percy clarified a remark attributed to him in news dispatches from Amman and Damascus to the effect that there would be no peace without Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied territories.
According to Percy, what he actually said was that there would be no peace unless there was an essential restoration of occupied territories, taking into account areas that are essential for the security of the parties concerned.
OCCUPATION AT ODDS WITH PEACE
During his visit Percy lunched with Premier Yitzhak Rabin, visited the Yad Vashem, had dinner with Foreign Minister Yigal Allon and was taken on a tour of Jerusalem and environs by Mayor Teddy Kollek. While driving through Ramot Eshkol, a Jerusalem suburb built on territory occupied by Jordan before 1967, Kollek observed, “There are 12,000 Jews living in this part of the city” and asked “What will (King) Faisal (of Saudi Arabia) and (King) Hussein (of Jordan) do with them if we fulfill their demands to return this territory to the Arabs?”
Percy replied that he could not answer that question but said that Faisal and Hussein would answer it by saying that as long as the territory is populated by Jews there would be no peace. Sen, and Mrs. Percy toured the Golan Heights today and were to meet with Finance Minister Yehoshua Rabinowitz this evening. They leave Israel tomorrow.
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