Ussr-uar Proposal for Arab-israel Boundaries Unacceptable to Israeli Government

The Meir government feels that the Soviet-Egyptian proposal for securing the eventual borders between Israel and the Arab states by the use of Soviet and American troops is quite unacceptable, according to sources. “It is inconceivable that we should tolerate Soviet troops on our soil” is a view that is being heard here with increasing frequency. As for the possibility of placing American troops on the Israeli side of the borders and Soviet troops on the Arab side, the Israelis feel such an arrangement would tend to turn minor border incidents into superpower confrontations, making the borders permanent powder kegs with potentially nuclear charges, sources said. Israelis feel, in this connection, that United Nations Secretary General Thant has, for the first time in a long time, rendered them a service by opposing superpower policing of Middle East borders. Thant said Monday at UN headquarters in New York that such a force would “create more problems” than it would solve.

But the Israelis, sources noted, are not enchanted by the possibility of Britain and France taking over such duties, although Thant said an Anglo-French force would create no difficulties, they believe its presence would not be conducive to tranquility. The main reason for Israel’s rejection of great power border protection lies in her fear that the arrangement would perpetuate the no-war, no-peace situation, these sources observed, adding: “The Arabs want us to go back to the pre-war borders. Then they want the powers to move in. That would be the end of the Jarring mission and the peace talks. The Arabs will have gotten all their lost territories back without giving anything in return.” Nevertheless, Israel does not reject a great-power border guarantee out-of-hand, but is willing to accept it only in addition to–and not in lieu of–a peace treaty providing “secure borders.”