Rabin Accuses U.S. of Heating Up the Arms Race in the Middle East

Premier Yitzhak Rabin angrily accused the United States today of serving as a “catalyst” in the Middle East arms race. Referring to the Ford Administration’s efforts to lift the American embargo on arms sales to Egypt and its recently announced $1.2 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia. Rabin said that since the U.S. is committed to maintain the balance of military power in the Middle East, it would have to honor that commitment by supplying greater quantities of arms to Israel and would thus become “a moving force in the Middle East arms race.” (See related story P.3.)

The Premier said that “Israel’s policy is to try to persuade nations with whom it has ties not to sell weapons to nations hostile to Israel” and specifically, that Israel would make every effort to block the American sale of six giant Hercules C-130 transports to Egypt.

(Israel’s Ambassador to Washington, Simcha Dinitz, lodged a strong protest over the projected sale of C-130s, sophisticated electronic equipment trucks and jeeps to Egypt at a meeting Monday with Undersecretary of State Joseph J. Sisco.)

Rabin made his remarks in an address to eighth grade pupils of the Kibbutz Hameuchad High Schools at a seminar held at Kibbutz Ef Al. He said Israel regarded the American intention to sell arms to Egypt as most grave and a cause of deep anxiety. It was the second time this week that the Premier publicly expressed Israel’s displeasure over American arms sales to the Arabs.

Addressing the Knesset Monday night, Rabin said the government would do all in its power to persuade the Americans not to go through with their massive arms deal with Saudi Arabia. He warned that American weapons sold to that country could easily find their way to the “confrontation states.” At least 5000 Saudi Arabian troops are reportedly now stationed in Jordan and a like number in Syria, presumably armed with American weapons.

SHOCKED BY MOUNTING CAMPAIGN

Israeli circles were shocked by the Ford Administration’s mounting campaign to get Congressional approval of the arms sales to the Saudis and removal of the arms embargo against Egypt. The Administration’s intention to sell six C-130s to Egypt was mentioned to Rabin by Ford and Kissinger when Rabin was in Washington last month. The projected deal with Saudi Arabia was not disclosed until after the Israeli leader’s departure.

Circles here were particularly disturbed that the American announcement was made without prior consultation with Israel. The U.S. had pledged to inform and consult with Israel before making any major notes, diplomatically or militarily in the Middle East. Moreover, it is believed here that the C-130s represent only the first of a wide variety of military equipment the U.S. intends to sell to Egypt.

When Egyptian President Anwar Sadat visited Washington last Oct. he is known to have asked for a variety of weapons systems including anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank missiles and F-5E jet fighters. Gen. (res.) Mordechai Hod. former commander of the Israel Air Force, said last week that the U.S. planned to sell Egypt F-79 jet engines–the same that power American Phantoms–which the Egyptians would install in their Soviet-built MIG-21 interceptors. The U.S. State Department subsequently denied that there was any intention to sell the F-79 engines to Egypt.

Heretofore, Israel’s armed forces have benefitted from the general superiority of American weapons over their Soviet counterparts in the Arab arsenals. But this advantage would be lost, military sources pointed out, if the Egyptians are armed with American equipment, allowing them in effect to enjoy the best of both Western and Soviet technology. Israel would be forced to invest enormous sums and effort to create counter-weapons to the Western equipment in Arab hands. Some sources here questioned today whether the latest developments represented a turning point in U.S.-Israeli relations or, at best, a serious erosion in those relations.

PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES A FACTOR

Circles here said Israel is limited in the way it can respond. It can lobby against the arms sales to Egypt and Saudi Arabia in both houses of the U.S. Congress; it can appeal to American public opinion over the head of the Administration and it can, especially, call on American Jewry for support in this election year.

However, political observers here feel that President Ford, having won the New Hampshire primary over his rival, former Gov. Ronald Reagan of California, albeit by a slim margin, and Tuesday’s Massachusetts primary by an over-whelming majority, is now confident of the Republican Presidential nomination. He has therefore embarked on a strategy of arming Egypt in order to widen the gap between Cairo and Moscow.

Reports from Washington today said the Ford Administration has already informed key members of Congress that it seeks to encourage Egypt on the path of moderation–meaning away from the Soviet camp–by lifting the arms embargo.