U.S.-Arab Relations

Alfred H.M. Shehab, president of the National Assn. of Arab Americans, in an Op-Ed Page article (“Keep Up Our End of U.S.-Arab Friendship,” Nov. 26), attempts to portray Saudi Arabia as a country “sharing an interest in bringing peace and stability to the Middle East,” and therefore entitled to purchase 315 of the most advanced American tanks to add to its military arsenal.

Is Saudi Arabia a force for peace in the Middle East? The Saudis have participated in every major war (1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973) provoked or launched by the Arab powers against Israel. In 1967, Saudi Arabia joined the other Arab countries at Khartoum in declaring that it would never recognize, negotiate or make peace with Israel.

Since 1948, Saudi Arabia has considered itself to be in a state of war against Israel and has rejected all attempts to induce it to end this state of war and recognize the state of Israel.

The Saudis insisted, when they purchased F-15 airplanes from the U.S., that they needed these planes for defense against a hostile Iran, but they built three airfields to house the planes 1,000 miles from Iran and within a few minutes flying time of Israel. There is little doubt that the new tanks will be stationed far from Iran and within easy striking distance of Israel.

Syria is one of Israel’s most intransigent enemies, but it is not generally known that a good part of the enormous sums spent by the Syrians for the purchase of advanced Soviet military equipment have been supplied by the Saudis. Likewise, of all the Arab powers, Saudi Arabia has been the most generous contributor to the anti-Israel, terrorist PLO. And, since the outbreak of the Arab riots in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, only the Saudis, according to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, have continued without letup to make the financial contributions that fuel the violence and make possible its continuation.

Saudi Arabia joins in every effort to expel Israel from the United Nations, and Saudi Arabia is one of a few states in the world which prohibits Jews, by law (without a U.N. protest), from working or living in the country. Is all the forgoing the way to bring peace and stability to the Middle East? Oil reserves may be a source of power, but not necessarily of truth.

SOL MODELL

Woodland Hills