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Arabs won't accept cease-fire: Decisive battle ahead — Dayan Defense Minister Moshe Dayan said last night the fighting might end in a de facto cease-fire, as he did not think the Arabs would accept a signed agreement. The fighting would simply come to an end when the Arabs lost their ability to stand up to Israel military, he said. In an interview over Israeli TV, Dayan said almost all of Israel’s military objectives on the northern front had been attained. But the ’decisive battle’ in the south was still ahead although it was ’not too far ahead.’ "I would not like to an Egyptian when it comes," said Dayan. Dayan spoke after reports came in from Washington that U. S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger had broached the idea of a cease-fire with the Russians and had brought it up in a meeting with Foreign Minister Abba Eben on Saturday. On Saturday night, Prime Minister Meir said in a televised press interview that Israel would immediately consider any Arab proposal for a cease-fire. The Defense Minister said he did not know what political formula would end the war. However, he did not believe the Arabs would agree to a signed cease-fire. Despite the heavy losses sustained by the Syrians, they may wish to remain in a state of war."In view of the mobilization of the Arab world, I’m not prepared to state with certainty that there will be a repetition of the events of the Six Day War in the aftermath of their crushing defeat, the Arabs asked for a cease-fire. On the Syrian front, Israel had already obtained two of its three objectives: it had driven the Syrians out of the Golan and pushed them back into their own territory. Israeli forces were now 40 kms from Damascus, i.e. 20 kms beyond the cease-fire line. The destruction of Syria’s military might — Israel’s third objective had not yet been completely attained. The military decision on the southern front would be more significant and clear cut than on the northern, he said, presumably referring to the strategic fact that the Egyptian forces are sandwiched between the desert and the Suez waterway. The Defense Minister said the Arab world — including Iraq, Sudan, Algeria, Libya and Jordan — had mobilized on the two fronts a total of 820,000 troops, 1000 war planes and 5000 tanks. "This required mobilization of our resources and those of the Jewish world and it required readiness on our part for a long stand." Israel would certainly have had a more comfortable time of it and sustained fewer casualties had it struck first, the Defense Minister said. But several factors militated against a pre-emptive strike. Politically, there were the views of "Israel’s friends" to be considered. (In an interview with Israel Radio earlier in the day, Dayan expressed "appreciation and gratitude" to the U.S. in reply to a question about U.S. aid to Israel. He did not elaborate. Domestically, there was the question of how to meet an ongoing threat. Egypt and Syria had been fully arrayed for war for two years, ever since Sadat announced his ’year of decision"in the middle of 1971. Israel’s response could have been either a pre-emptive attack or full-scale permanent mobilization. The second alternative would have meant disruption of orderly civilian life and Israel took the risk of not exercising that option. Only the IAF had been maintained at its full strength, he said. Israel ’did not err’ by abstaining from a pre-emptive strike he said. It was a measure that could be adopted only when it was certain the other side intended to attack. For two years Israel had lived with the risk. It was only ’a few short hours’ before the Arabs attacked that Israel knew they would do so. ’Their fingers had been on the trigger for two years. A surprise attack meant simply that they pressed the trigger.’ Mr. Dayan stressed that nothing had been neglected to develop every aspect of Israel’s military deterrent. Israel had everything it needed to meet an attack. But here the Defense Minister singled out the personal anti-tank shoulder missiles supplied to the Arabs by the Russians. "We are not able to acquire them, nor were we able to manufacture them ourselves." In his radio interview, Dayan said he regretted that the Arabs still did not accept Israel’s existence. He said the future must be considered "by positive thinking‘ and advised ’we must build up a strong army — the best guarantee of Israel’s security." He hoped that this would enable the building of such relations with our neighbors that some time in the future they could come to terms with Israel’s existence and accept the Jewish state.
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