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To
determine how leading Arabs and lsraelis feel about
the Middle East conflict, PLAIN TRUTH Executive Editor, Garner
Ted Armstrong, and staff members interviewed Arab and lsraeli
diplomats and political leaders at the United Nations and in
Jerusalem. Here are their comments.
JJWe
can withstand the onslaught of
Arab states - we did it three times
and we repelled them. But Soviet Russia
is too much.''
-
Gideon
Hausner, member of
lsrael's
Knesset, former
Attorney General of Israel
GIDEON HAUSNER, well-known
Israelí legal expert, gained worldwide
attention as prosecuting attorney in
the Adolf Eichmann trial. T hen At–
torney General of Israel, Mr. Haus–
ner wrote a book about the trial,
Justice
in
Jerusalem.
Hausner has been
a member of the faculty of the
Hebrew University and is presently
on its board of trustees. He
is
also a
member of Israel's Knesset (parlia–
ment) representing the Independent
Liberal Party.
Q.
Mr.
Hausner, do you believe the
Jewish and Arab peoples can live to–
gether in harmony without continua!
antagonism in spite of ethnic and reli–
gious differences?
A.
Definitely. I grew up in this coun–
try long before these enmities acose.
We were friends and there was under–
standing.
If
left face-to-face, people-to–
people, we can reach a solution easily.
Q.
Do you, then, believe t hat there
will eventually be direct negotiations
between your government and that
of Egypt's President Sadat ?
A.
I
don't know whether it will
be
President Sadat. But
it
is obvious that
we will ultimately have to sit clown
with Egyptian representatives, and ham-
mer out something acceptable to both
sides. Otherwise it will be an imposed
solution which will not last. Only an
agreed solution can have a chance,
something on the basis of give and take,
of mutual compromises, of a new begin–
ning. This cannot be imposed from the
outside; this must be done by free will
of the states concerned.
Q.
Do you see any willingness on the
part of the Arab leadership for any
sort of a compromise?
A.
Not yet, but time will probably
lead them to it. After all, they have
already tried so many different ways -
they have tried war; they failed. They
have tried guerrilla warfare against us;
they failed . They didn't try out peace
yet. One day it will dawn on them that
it is the only way.
Q-.
H ow does Israel regard the
Soviet presence in Egypt? l s it a
major cause for worry?
A.
Yes, it is a cause of great anxiety.
Of course, we cannot take on the Soviet
Union. This is something which NATO
and the Western powers would have to
think about. We can withstand the on–
slaught of Arab states - we did it
three times and we repelled them. But
Soviet Russia is too much. I don't be–
lieve the Soviets will interfere in the
conflict directly with all their might. Of
course the weapons which are now in
Arab hands, or let us say at Arab call,
are very menacing.
Q .
How do you regard the cu.rrent
cease-fire along the canal ? Is it a
cause for optimism about the near
future?
A.
Yes, indeed. For nine or ten
months now there has been no shooting
across the Suez Canal. This in itself is
already a new factor.
If
allowed to ex–
tend, probably it will create better con–
ditions for perhaps a further extension.
Of course, all these upheavals in the
Arab world are playing havoc. All the
interna! diffi.culties with which Presi–
dent Sadat has to cope are not making
things easier for him on the externa!
front because he has got to show a
strong hand - that he didn't go soft
on the so·called nationalistic issues.
Otherwise, people would think that
he's going soft on Israel. But so long
as no shooting occurs there is a chance
that there will be no renewed warfare
and this in itself is important.
And, of course, if there is no shoot–
ing there is always a chance that we will
be able to sit down at long last and talk
things over reasonably.
Q .
ls there any role for the United
Nations in affecting a peace settle-