Defense Minister Ariel Sharon returned from his visit to Washington yesterday claiming that Israel could muster sufficient support in the U.S. to block any plans by the Reagan Administration to supply sophisticated weapons to Arab states in the Middle East. He briefed Premier Menachem Begin last night on his discussions with Administration officials and will report to the Cabinet when it convenes in special session tomorrow.
Sharon contended that the U.S. is fully aware that Israel cannot live under the constant threat of terrorism and recognized the dangers that Palestinian terrorism posed to the chances of peace in the Middle East. Before leaving Washington, Sharon insisted, in an interview with the Israel Radio correspondent there, that the U.S. had full knowledge that Israel had been supplying Iran with small quantities of arms. He said he deliberately confirmed those reports while in the U.S. in order “to clear Israel’s name of the smear of being Iran’s major arms supplier.” No American-made equipment was involved and quantities shipped were very small, the Defense Minister said.
Sharon’s interview was taped after American officials had intimated that they had no prior knowledge of the Israeli arms sales to Iron, but before the State Department issued a detailed denial of prior knowledge. Sharon said he had warned Administration officials against strengthening Iraq against Iran because Iraq represented a major threat to Israel.
IRAQ WORSE THAN IRAN
According to Sharon, the regime of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was just as bad as that of Saddam Hussein of Iraq. But the conflict had to be viewed in a long range context. Iraq is more of a destabilizing influence in the region than Iran, however extremist the Teheran regime may be at present, Sharon said.
“For months we have been saying this to American officials, and telling them of the limited supplies we have been shipping to Iron,” Sharon said. He said the matter had also been raised by Israel in conversations with Egyptian officials. He suggested that the American denial of prior knowledge might be part of a pressure campaign against Israel. In that connection he cited reports that Israel is currently sending arms to Argentina, which Israel vehemently denies.
According to Sharon, Israel’s relations with the U.S. are based on a common view of regional dangers, but there are some differences of approach in dealing with those problems. He said there were good chances to block proposed U.S. arms sales to Jordan if steps are taken early enough with the aid of Israel’s friends in the U.S.
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