Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Dayan declared last night that Arab governments have resorted to terrorism because they are unwilling to make peace and unable to make war. He added that the use of Arab terror is not a military threat to Israel and will achieve no results. Dayan made a one-day visit to Montreal to inaugurate the 1972 combined Jewish Appeal and Israel Emergency Fund. He addressed two meetings during the course of the day and answered questions on the Middle East situation.
In his view, the Russian withdrawal from Egypt was the result of a basic Soviet decision to avoid getting more deeply involved in the Middle East war and to avoid a possible clash with the United States. He said Israel was happy with this development because it meant the removal of the risk of clashing with Soviet combat units.
Dayan described Israel’s present strength as resulting from three factors: her faith in her cause, the practical implementation of that faith in building the country and absorbing immigrants, and her ability to defend herself while maintaining a normal existence. Part of this faith, he concluded, stemmed from the support extended to Israel by Jewish communities abroad and their identification with her progress and security.
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.
