STOKING THE ARAB-ISRAELI FIRES

LONG after the fire at Al Aqsa mosque had been put out, Arab leaders last week seemed determined to stoke it with the most inflammatory rhetoric since the Six-Day War of 1967. "There is no hope, no way except through force," Egypt's President Nasser said in a broadcast to his soldiers about the fire, which damaged the revered mosque in Israeli-ruled Jerusalem. "Hopes for a peaceful solution have been cruelly shattered," declared Jordan's King Hussein. "Now that all peaceful methods have been exhausted, I appeal to you to declare jihad [holy war]," cried Saudi Arabia's King Feisal, in a plea addressed not only to the region's 100 million Arabs but also to the world's 600 million Moslems.

Plainly, the Arab leaders were playing politics with the mosque fire. It scarcely seemed to matter to them that an itinerant Australian Christian had confessed to setting the blaze. Nor did Arab leaders bother to note that Al Aqsa compound, far from being fireproof, had been the scene of blazes in 1949 and 1964, during Jordanian rule. What did matter was that, because millions of Arabs reflexively held Israel responsible for the latest fire, guerrilla organizations were strengthened in their hard-line anti-Israeli positions. Arab governments adopted correspondingly tough stances in an effort to match the extremists' thunder.

Counsels of Caution. Despite the incendiary speeches and the orchestrated street demonstrations in Arab capitals, few experts expected a major conflagration. Part of the world, at least, seemed to be learning to live less nervously with the Arab-Israeli conflict. Last spring President Nixon described the Middle East as a "powder keg," needing only the tiniest spark to explode. Last week, however, Washington viewed the current situation coolly, and the State Department said merely that it was counseling "restraint" to both sides. Moscow made no comment publicly, but U.S. diplomats believe that the Soviets have no interest in escalating hostilities and risking a fresh beating for their Arab clients at the hands of the Israelis (see box following page). The Russians, accordingly, are warning Nasser & Co. to be cautious.

For all their bombast, Arab leaders indicated that they were inclined to be cautious. In Cairo the 14 nations of the Arab League met for the first time in more than three years and prudently decided against any immediate action. Because of the deep rivalries among so many Arab leaders, the league decided against a summit meeting.

Instead, it agreed to 1) call a conference of all Moslem nations, which may take months to organize, if it comes off at all; and 2) convene the 14-nation Joint Defense Council, but not until November. The four countries most deeply involved in the anti-Israel fight, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq, may meet somewhat sooner to try to coordinate their efforts.

Terrifying Reminder. Few courses are, in fact, open to the Arabs short of all-out war--and most military analysts believe that the Israelis would win decisively again. But guerrilla action is one potent tactic available to the Arabs. At week's end, George Habash, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, vowed that his guerrillas would attack Jewish property everywhere--U.S. holdings as well, because of Washington's support of Israel. A few hours later, the front claimed that its members were responsible for hijacking a TWA jetliner, bound from Rome to Tel Aviv. Israeli jet fighters intercepted the diverted plane, but there was nothing they could do without endangering the 101 passengers and 12 crew members. The plane was forced to land at Syria's new $40 million airport at Damascus. There the hijackers herded everyone off, then exploded a bomb in the cockpit. Earlier, Jerusalem came under rocket attack. Three 6-ft.-long, 50-lb., Soviet-made Katyusha missiles'exploded harmlessly in the city. In London a small bomb exploded, injuring a woman in the office of Israel's Zim shipping company. Angrily, the Israelis warned the Arabs that they cannot hope to "sit in safety in their offices throughout the world unless safety prevails in the offices of Israeli companies." By week's end, the only noteworthy Israeli attack was against an army base near Asyut, midway between Cairo and the Aswan Dam, and about 200 miles from the nearest Israeli base. Apparently carried by French-built Super Ferlon helicopters, a commando force landed in the dead of night, lobbed several 122-mm. mortar shells at the base and left without a casualty. The Israelis caused no major damage, but again reminded Nasser that they can strike almost any Egyptian target with terrifying impunity.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.