Dayan Says Israel is Selling Arms to Ethiopia, but is Not Sending Any Troops or Aircraft

Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan admitted yesterday that Israel sells arms to Ethiopia to be used in its war against Somalia. In an interview with Israel Radio from Zurich, Dayan said he saw no reason to conceal the fact.

The Foreign Minister pointed out that Israel has a strong interest in maintaining friendly relations with Ethiopia, a country located along the Red Sea, the waterway by which tankers come to Israel. Dayan said Israel did not send any troops or aircraft to Ethiopia.

This was the first time an Israeli official has publicly admitted that Israel has supplied military aid to Ethiopia although it has been an open secret for 20 years. Israeli aid started during the regime of Emperor Haile Selassie. During that time there was a military mission in Ethiopia and Ethiopian officers frequently came to Israel for various types of training. After the Yom Kippur War, Somalia, like most African countries, broke relations with Israel.

Israel’s present aid to Ethiopia began about a year ago when it was asked to give such aid by the government which had overthrown the Emperor in 1974. Israel agreed to do so and continues the aid despite the fact that Ethiopia now also receives aid from the Soviet Union and Cuba it was reliably learned that Israeli aid includes ammunition, uniforms, first aid equipment, tents and other items of this kind.

TRIED TO KEEP AID A SECRET

However, Defense Ministry sources were somewhat taken aback today by Dayan’s acknowledgement of the fact. The Foreign Minister made his statement after the Israeli involvement had received heavy publicity in the world press.

The Israelis have over the years gone to great lengths to keep their aid a secret. When Haile Selassie, pleased by a demonstration of his paratroopers who had been trained in Israel, wanted to make an official statement thanking Israel, his aides had to convince him not to publicize it. The same thing was true when Premier David Ben Gurion’s aides worked to prevent publication of a story the Premier told travel agents about Israel’s achievements in training Ethiopian paratroops.

Dayan is thus coming under criticism for his acknowledging the aid, especially at this time. Israelis in general understand that Israel is sending arms to a government that is also receiving supplies from the Soviet Union and Cuba, not for ideological reasons but to bolster a non-Arab state that has an outlet to the Red Sea to prevent it from becoming a completely Arab waterway.