Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin appeared to warn Syria Wednesday that its support for terrorist acts against Israel could lead to a military confrontation.
The Syrians seem “ready to raise the level of risk that as a result of terrorist acts the tensions between our two countries might be increased,” Rabin said in a talk at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington-based think-tank.
He said Israel has evidence that Syria was involved in the attacks on the Rome and Vienna airports last December 27 and the recent attempt to plant a bomb on an El Al plane leaving London. He wondered whether the Syrian official who ordered placing the bomb on the plane considered what would have happened if the “tragedy would have taken place.”
Rabin said Syria is the only Arab country that “potentially” might consider initiating a military confrontation with Israel. He noted that Egypt has a peace treaty with Israel, Iraq is engaged in the war it started with Iran, and Jordan, which did not join Egypt and Syria against Israel in 1973, would not go to war with Syria alone.
“I hope that they (the Syrians) know that even if they succeed in a way to surprise us, in the long run, militarily, Syria is not a match for Israel,” Rabin said. “I have no doubt that we will win a war.” But he stressed that Israel has no intention of initiating a war with any of its neighbors. He said the first purpose of Israel’s defense policy is to prevent and deter wars.
Despite Israel’s focus on Syrian terrorism, Rabin said he agreed that the United States with its “global responsibilities” was right in concentrating on the terrorist activity of Libya. But for Israel, Syria was closer and thus the “first priority,” he added.
VIEW OF THE PEACE PROCESS
As for the peace process, Rabin said Israel was still ready to negotiate with Jordan and Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza. But he stressed there were no “short cuts” to peace. He suggested that Jordan needed to build up its support among the inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza.
Rabin said there was little at present the U.S. could do now since King Hussein of Jordan refuses to go it alone in negotiations with Israel. “There is even a limit to the miracles that the United States can do,” he said.
Rabin said the “priority” for Israel is to “strengthen the peace with Egypt.” He expressed confidence that the Taba border dispute will be settled soon, and that once this happens the normalization agreement required by the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty will follow.
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