Terror on the Home Front

Terror in the sky was only one of Israel's worries last week. Terror on the ground, particularly in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank of the Jordan River, also took a heavy toll. Near Hebron on the West Bank, Arab terrorists ambushed a busload of Americans on a tour of holy places, killing a 31-year-old housewife and wounding two other women. In the town of Gaza, two grenades intended for Israelis landed amidst Arabs. All told, terrorist attacks killed three and wounded 51. On the battle line, by contrast, two Israeli soldiers died and five were wounded in Egyptian shellings and bombings.

Israeli jets, meanwhile, resumed their raids deep into Egypt after a nine-day respite. Twice last week they struck at Egyptian defenses in the Nile Delta. In the course of the week they claimed to have downed three MIGs in dogfights and a fourth by ground fire, bringing Israel's kills of Egyptian planes since the 1967 war to 72.

Everywhere in the Middle East the mood was hostile. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, the 27-year-old head of Libya's Revolutionary Command Council, celebrated the first six months of his military rule with a 31-hour press conference in Tripoli's old parliament building. In his first such appearance, Gaddafi was ill at ease, chauvinistic and snappish. When TIME Correspondent Gavin Scott asked under what conditions Libya might place the planes that it is purchasing from France at the service of Egypt, Gaddafi bristled. "The issue," he snapped, "is not the use by Egypt of these arms. Rather, it is the question of American sympathy for Israel. Since Israel has expansionist ambitions on the whole Arab area, its aggression might reach Libya one day. Hence these aircraft will hurt Israel even if they are not used by Egypt."

Little Hope. About the only person who seemed even remotely optimistic was United Nations Secretary-General U Thant. Cutting short a home visit to Burma, Thant flew back to New York for consultations with ambassadors of the four powers (the U.S., Soviet Union, Britain and France) that are attempting to restore the Middle East ceasefire. Thant said he had returned to examine "positive elements" in the talks; the participants, after 28 fruitless meetings, wondered what he meant. They have agreed that Israel should withdraw from occupied territories. But they are far from agreement on security guarantees for Israel, and without them, there is little hope for a settlement.

As Israel's Premier Golda Meir said during a visit to a kibbutz near Hebron last week: "Would that peace were dependent on concession. The fundamental problem is that our neighbors are not prepared to recognize our right to be here." That being the case, added Golda, who is now 71, the war is likely to continue "for the rest of my days."

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