LONDON e

| Imperialist plot against Syria

Special to the Tribune

; DAMASCUS
HERE is a grave situation.
» teated as a result of im-

ate pat efforis to liqui-

Syria as Well as the gains of
fs yrlan people. A number of
. Point to the efforts of U.S.
eee alism to organize a mili-
DY, intervention by Israel in
airs of Syria, that is to
“Y are trying to have Is-
ay a similar role as that
t Egypt in 1956.
the defeat of the Ba-
Uist government last
Syria took on a pro-
ational character, di-
tials st reaction and im-
OD deve’ and began a process
vith th ping friendly relations
t ee USSR and other social-
Fens Pak In the international
fiseg «>, ice Of Syria was
bcs In defense of liberty, of
roe Socialism. Syria be-
Dlidarite olidate relations of
aed and friendship with
Fe ae Arab states, with all
World ‘onal forces in the Arab
of and with the forces of

>

ve

© The p,.:

Unite Resident Board of the

a Jewish People’s Order

ent ae has issued a state-

MPeace ; € question of lasting
i the Middle East. Fol-

towin
re cee excerpts from the

0
my :

| one tally mounting . ten-
4 orden peated incidents on
" aos of Israel cause us,
deace ae with all Jews and
ithe Peace ws2,Bteat_ concern for
he eee the middle East and
Asragy 'Y and very future of

4 W

I ee: ‘

f enact the deliberate

Acts of ued provocations and
Wanton Sabotage on Is-

.

[.

By MEIR VILNER
; Secretary of one of the
™munist parties in Israel

HE TEL AVIV

at Western powers have
le Israel a_ special
ise their strategic plans.
tant and at is behind the con-
Vestme mereasing flow of

“ent capital from the U.S.

fy Peral

oth ® foreign aid to little Israel,
asic _¢ Per capita and over-all
Fandoy, ees the total U.S.
Fountrie to other Mid-Eastern
{This S that care to accept it.
Riven ee to our country is

nN exchange for services

© progressive orientation °

any, 1 Fecently;, West Ger-.

PARIS © MOSCOW © RIO DE JANEIRO © PEKING © NEW DELHI «

THREAT TO PEACE
IN MIDDLE EAST

progress and socialism through-
out the world.

The merit of the Syrian goy-
ernment lies in the fact that it
adopted a resolute position on
the problem of oil, demanding
that the Iraq Petroleum Co.
make payment to Syria in line
with the agreements of 1956.
This position caused discontent
among the Anglo-American im-
perialists.

Following Feb. 23, economic
and social measures were ap-
plied in Syria aimed at consoli-
dating the economic and politi-
cal independence of the country
in the direction of. agrarian re-
form and the extention of the
state section in industry and
agriculture.

The cooperation which deve-
loped in diverse form between
the left Baathists and Syrian
Communists influenced to some
degree the composition of the
government formed after Feb.
23 with the participation of a
Communist.. Imperialism has
used this to launch an hysteri-
cal anti-Communist campaign
against Syria.

i Israel-Arab accord on

rael’s territory, inspired and
directed at this time from Syria,
as a serious threat to the peace
in the entire Middle East, and
even to the peace in the world
as a whole.

We associate ourselves with
the people in Israel and every-
where who call for the greatest
vigilance against the machina-
tions of the so-called ‘Palestine
Liberation Army,” commanded

_ by Achmed Shukeiri, a man who

consistently proclaims as his
aim in life “the liquidation of
the state of Israel.”

Israel is a national state es-
tablished legally by a decision
of the United Nations and now

rendered by the Israeli ruling
circles. These services are three-
fold:

e Intrigue and . conspiracies
against the: Arab anti-imperial-
ist movement.

e Assistance in operating neo-
colonialist policies in Asia and
Africa.

e Active participation in the
imperialist campaign against
the Soviet Union and the other
socialist countries.

Government policy is failing
to solve Israel’s major problems
—the worsening economic situ-
ation and, of course, how to live
in peace with our Arab neigh-
bors.

The fact is that the CP of
Syria, while supporting the pro-
gressive orientation of the gov-
ernment, at the same time criti-
cizes the inadequate positions
of that government and strives
constantly to enlarge democra-
tic liberation for the mass of
workers and peasants, of all pro-
gressive forces as well as the
Communist Party.

It is precisely the progressive
orientation of the government
conforming with the national in-
terests of Syria which provokes
the hatred of the imperialists.

The imperialists fear that this
orientation of Syria will exer-
cise an influence in the neigh-
boring countries. That is why
they organize plots against
Syria. As we know now, a plot
was organized by reactionaries
with the support of right-wing
Baathists and numerous monar-
chist elements from Jordan and
Saudi Arabia, financed by Amer-
ican and British interests. This
was to coincide with a military
intervention from Israeli bases.

The Israeli authorities under-
took their aggresive acts against

so recognized by most of the
great powers in the world, as
well as by most other sovereign
nations. Israel is here to stay!

The struggle for Israel’s secur-
ity and its sovereign rights,
without prejudice to the just
needs and aspirations of the
Arab people, should be the
cause of every true lover of
peace, justice and democracy,
Jew and non-Jew alike.

We are convinced that the
very future of Israel as a state,
its constructive participation in
bringing advancement and _ pro-
gress to the Middle East as well
as its own long-range security
depend on the achievement of

Far from. stabilizing the na-

tional economy, big foreign in--

vestments have made Israel di-
rectly dependent on the Western
monopolies ...

Until recently, the U.S. re-
frained from directly supplying
arms to Israel, leaving .that to
Bonn Germany and other West-
ern powers. However, soon after
the advent of the new left Sy-
rian government, the U.S. pub-
licly announced the: sale of
bombers and other military
equipment to eur country.

The Communist parliamentary
group exposed the deal, urging
the Israeli people not to be
lured or coerced into pulling the

Syria in the region of Lake Tib-
eriade and their air attacks
against irrigation” works on the
River Garmoak, multiplying
their efforts to change the poli-
tical regime in Syria by armed
aggression.

For éxample, Isaac Rabin,
major-general of the Israeli
army declared ‘our objective is
the modification of the political
regime in Syria.” And the prime
minister of Israel, Levy Eshkol,
said: “Israel will attack Syria
and we shall choose the moment*
and the appropriate method for
this attack.”

These statements were accom-
panied by military preparations
and the concentration of troops
on the Syrian frontier.

At the same time the Israeli
authorities undertook repressive
measures against the Arab na-
tional minority of- Israel.

The Jordanian authorities
were also assigned a role in this
affair. Vasfi Tell, prime minis-
ter of Jordan, declared: ‘‘The
fortress of Syria will be opened
by the Jordan military.”

All this shows that the pre-

ly peace

an Israel-Arab understanding,

‘ Jeading to a durable peace in the

entire area.

Mindful of the grave difficul-
ties involved, conscious of the
many barriers in the road of Is-
rael-Arab accommodation, we
nevertheless maintain that the
problem of the continuing ten-
sions and lack of peace cannot
be resolved by a reliance on a
policy of force. While guarding
vigilantly the security of its own
borders Israel must patiently
and consistently champion the
cause of an Arab-Israel under-
standing. Although hard _ to
achieve, an understanding among
Israel and its neighbors is the

U.S. imperialists’ chestnuts out
of the fire.

We condemned the imperial-
ist and Israeli government at-
tempts to draw our country into
an aggressive war against Syria.

A committee of well-known
public personalities, scientists,
writers, artists; journalists—both
Jews and Arabs of widely dif-
ferent political persuations, ‘is
carrying on mass activities for
a peaceful settlement of the Is-
raeli-Arab conflict by the elimi-
nantion of imperialist interfer-
ence in Middle East affairs and
for Israel’s recognition of the
national rights of the Palestine
Arabs.

The Communist Party de-

sent situation resembles the

- Situation preceding the Israeli

attack in the Suez Canal in 1956.

With: the support of their
agents in Israel and Jordan and
all Arab reaction, the U.S., Eng-
lish and West German imperial-

-ists, are preparing a new adven-

ture against Syria and against
peace in the Near East, the aim
being to establish a reactionary
and docile government in Syria,
liquidate the achievements of
the Syrian people and re-estab-
lish imperialist influence in the
entire region. F

At the present time the situ-
ation in Syria is favorable to
progress. The people possess
rich experience: in struggle
against imperialist plots. The
socialist camp extends its hand
of friendship and aid. Recently
the USSR sent a note to Israel
warning against its preparations
for aggression against Syria.

The victory of the Syrian peo-

ple in its many struggles against .

imperialism has been made pos-
sible thanks to the international
solidarity of Communists and
progressives of the whole world.

basis

only sane policy since it is the
only road to security, peace and

‘ progress for Israel as well as its

Arab neighbors. ©

Hence we cannot but consider
Israel's large scale military raid
into Jordan, on Nov. 13, 1966, a
grave error...

A peace offensive by Israel
now will prevent its further iso-
lation in and outside of the
United Nations. It will win for
Israel new friends and will even-
tually lead to peace in the Mid-
dle East which will be the great-
est boon and blessing to the en-
tire area, to Israel, to the Arab
peonle and to the peace of the
world.

| US. investments fanning flames of war

mands the Palestine refugees be
allowed to choose between re-
turning -to their country or re-
ceiving compensation, in con-
formity with the United Nations
resolution. This would open the
way to Arab recognition of Isra-
el and would help her find her
place in a peaceful and pros-
perous Middle East.

The Israeli people should,not
be identified with the ruling
element. While they combat re-
actionary policies as inimical to
the national interest, the Israeli
people also reject all irrespon-
sible statements and_ actions
which play into the hands of the
U.S. imperialists and the Israeli
reactionaries.

January 13, 1967—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 9

A

ehh

pnciesliontet