Rabin Says His Talks in Washington Focused on Strengthening Mideast Peace, U.s.-israel Strategic All

Israeli Defense Minster Yitzhak Rabin told the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Tuesday that his talks with President Reagan and Administration officials in Washington focused on strengthening peace in the Middle East and fortifying the American-Israeli strategic alliance.

“Our policy is to deter war…We have to be prepared for war to avoid it,” Rabin said in discussing the need for increased military cooperation.

During his talks in Washington, Rabin said he proposed granting Israel equal treatment to NATO countries in matters of strategic cooperation. “I believe the time has come…to recognize Israel as a major non-NATO ally,” Rabin said.

This equal treatment will be a more effective deterrent to terrorism from the radical Arab states, he said.

RECIPROCAL LEASING OF MILITARY HARDWARE

One arrangement which Rabin said he suggested in Washington would be the reciprocal leasing of military hardware at no cost.

The American Navy has requested to lease 25 Kfir planes from Israel. The Israelis agreed to lease the fighter planes at no charge, Rabin said. He asked the Americans for a similar arrangement to lease American combat helicopters.

“I found readiness on the part of members of the defense establishment and Congress,” Rabin said. No agreement has been formalized yet, he said.

The summit meeting last week between Israeli Premier Shimon Peres and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and the Jordanian moves to oust the PLO from that country have given new impetus to the peace process in the Middle East, Rabin said in turning his attention to the Mideast.

“Terror has become the main obstacle towards peace between Israel and an Arab country and no doubt a threat to the Palestinians who would like to see a political solution, not a continuation of terror,” Rabin said.

Syria, Rabin said, presents the two major threats to peace: the possibility of military conflict and the sponsorship of radical terrorists in Lebanon and throughout the world.

“Syria is the main instigator, initiator and organizer of terror against Israel.” Rabin said. Syria conducts its terror daily in Lebanon and indirectly, by supporting Abu Nidal, Abu Musa, George Habash and other extremists.

CITES SYRIA’S ROLE IN FOUR ATTACKS

“Syria was responsible, directly and indirectly, in the last year for four attacks on Israeli targets in Europe,” Rabin said.

Abu Nidal terrorists, who organized the attack on El Al counters in Rome and Vienna in Syria, came via Belgrade with Syrian backing, Rabin said. A “Syrian military body” attempted to plant a bomb on the El Al plane in London several months ago between, he said. And Abu-Musa’s group, which operates openly in Syria, was responsible for the attempt to bomb an El Al plane in Madrid. Rabin said the terrorist in Madrid carried a Syrian passport and was in phone contact between Madrid and Damascus. He also received $10,000 from Damascus to finance his activities,” Rabin said.

Rabin said he is puzzled that neither the American government nor the American people have any information, 10 days after the terrorist attack in Karachi, Pakistan, on the organization that supported the terrorists despite the capture and certain interrogations that followed of three of the terrorists.