Sen. Henry M. Jackson said yesterday afternoon that he did not foresee the need for American troops in the Middle East. What Israel needs, he reiterated on NBC-TV’s “Meet The Press,” is sufficient arms. “The Israelis can do the job,” he explained. “They shot down four Soviet pilots with the greatest of ease.” (This was reported recently by Israeli officials to have occurred shortly before the Aug. cease-fire.) The Washington State Democrat, a member of the Armed Services Committee, predicted that the administration’s $500 million aid-to-Israel measure would pass the Senate as easily as his amendment to the Military Procurement Act providing for such aid. That amendment was approved by 87 to 7. “I would guess there’s no problem on that,” he said of the $500 million proposal. Sen. Jackson, who recently visited Israel, said of the Middle East situation, “The central point that we have to realize is that the Soviet Union wants to obtain hegemony over this area.” Even if israel did not exist, he said, the USSR would be seeking easier access to the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal and “control” over Mideast oil. “Russia has had a historical interest in the Middle East for centuries.” he said.
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