An American international relations expert, Prof. William Griffith of M.I.T., forecast a slow but gradual change in the American attitude towards Israel. Speaking at the American Embassy lecture hall last night, Griffith, who returned from a tour of Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries, admitted that the change will no doubt call for bitter public criticism but “whatever will happen will not be to the liking of Israel.”
It is the oil pressure that will force this change according to Griffith, who spoke about the same time that Nixon declared at a press conference in Washington that there would be no change in the American attitude towards Israel because of Arab oil.
According to the M.I.T. scientist, Saudi Arabia, on which the U.S. will depend for oil over the next 7-10 years, will load the pressure for a change in attitude towards Israel. He agreed, however, that Israel may be less affected by American pressure as Israel’s self-sufficiency in armament supply increases.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.