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12
international defense organization, this
was indeed a big step forward toward
security in the world of power politics.
But all was not smooth sailing. A
few bours after the announcement that
West Germany and Israel had estab–
lished full diplomatic relations, ten
Arab states (lraq, Egypt, Lebanon,
Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, Algeria, Saudi
Arabia, Sudan and Yemen) cut all ties
with West Germany. Only Morocco,
Tunisia and Libya did not follow suit,
though they did send their protests to
Bonn.
Germany: Key Trading Partner
Nevertheless, vital ties betwecn West
Germany and Israel continue to grow.
After the United States, the (West)
German Federal Republic is the best
foreign customec Israel has. But most
Germans feel West Germany cannot
afford to court only Israel, and in fact
it has not. W est German leaders have
long felt that peace in the Midd!e East
could on ly be found through an equali–
zation of military strength.
German efforts to court the Arabs
have revolved around a policy of offer–
ing economic aid for any of thc Arab
nations which would reopen diplomatic
relations with West Germany. The ef–
forts appear to be bearing fruit. Arab
League official Hamdy Azzam has been
quoted as saying that the outlook foc a
resumption of diplomatic ties between
all Arab states and West Germany is
favorable.
These relationships are crucial not
only for West Germany, but for all of
Western Europe. As West German
spokesman Conrad Ahlers said earlier
this summer, Western Europe has "not
only the right, but also the duty," to deal
with the Middle East conflict ( quoted in
Jemsalem Post,
July 7, 1971).
The Middle East is vital to the Ger·
mans because they see it in the greater
perspective of the East-West power
struggle.
If
anothcr Israeli-Arab explo–
sion occurs, there is the great danger of
a military confrontation between the
Super Powers - the United States and
the Soviet Union. In Germany these two
blocs confront each other directly!
Even more important, economically,
West Germany receives sorne
90
percent
of its oil from the Middle East.
If
reJa-
Tbe
PLAIN TRUTH
Oecember 1971
Wido World Photo
MASSIVE ANTI-GERMAN DEMONSTRATIONS
greeted Dr. Rolf Pauls,
West Germany's fi rst ambassador to Israel on his arrival there in 1965.
tions with the Arab oil suppliers de–
ter iorate, West Gennany and all of
Western Europe would face a crucial em–
bargo on oil which would grind West–
ern Europe's industrial oations to a
fatal halt. Such a future is totally unac–
ceptable for Europeao leaders.
Middle East: Crucial Hot Spot
West Germany
is
all too conscious of
the Russiao bear's lumbering but
increasingly powerful presence in thc
Middle East. To allow the U.S.S.R. to
become the dominant power in that
crucial arca would be to allow a fatal
stranglehold on that area's oil resources
- sorne 70 percent of the world's total
supply!
And yet, if United States' military
strength were not present in the Middle
East (Sixth Fleet), the U.S.S.R. would
have that exact life-and-death grip over
the entire area! There is, of course, no
guarantee that the U. S. will continue
its weighty presence in the Middle East.
Consider the United States' position:
As the Vietnam war continues to blecd
America of its life blood - both money
and men (over $127 billion to date and
more than 350,000 American casualties
including sorne 53,000 U. S. servicemen
killed) - the American people are seri–
ously questioning their present position
as the world's policemao.
In addition, the United States
presently receives only 3-4 percent of its
oil supplr from the Middle East. Add
this to the increasing desire within the
United States to extricate itself from the
numerous crisis spots around the world,
and we suddenly have a potentiaUy haz–
ardous vacuum in the Middle East
which the U.S.S.R. would be only too
happy to fill!
The U. S. government realizes this
and conseguently
favors
the growing in·
Rueoce of West Europe on the Middle
East scene. Which nations could be bet·
ter suited than West Germany and the
Common Market countries to enter in
and fill the void the United States would
make were it to increasingly favor an
isolationist policy in regards to world
hot spots?
Europe knows it must protect not
only its "front door" - the eastern bor–
der with the Russian satellite countries
- but also its "back door" - the
Mediterranean! For both its own mili–
tary security and industrial survival,
West Germany (and Europe) must
maintain and increase its influence in
the Middle East.
Israel Needs Europe
For its part, Israel needs help - Big·
Power help! The unique relationship
that today exists between West Ger-