Socialists and the Middle East Crisis

The U.S. Administration has now intervened in the Middle East crisis by describing the Egyptian bbclade of Israel shipping in the Gulf of Aqaba as "illegal and potentially disastrous to the cause of peace." This is rich coming from the Government that has blockaded the coast of North Vietnam, and which daily indulges in acts "illegal and potentially disastrous to peace." The fact that the United States, which has taken up the role of world policeman against national liberation movements, is on the side of Israel against the Arab countries is sufficient to make one suspicious of the Israeli role. However, from a socialist point of view the ratcialist anti-semitic attitude of the Arab Governments is totally unsupportable. The present crisis has its origins in the growing friction between Syria and Israel which has developed in the last few months. This in turn follows the emergence in Syria of a left-nationalist Government which has taken an anti-imperialist line in domestic and foreign policies. The most notable thing this regime did was to stop the Iraqi Petroleum Company's pipeline through Syria during a dispute over oil royalties. It can hardly be a coincidence that shortly afterwards the Israelis started to put pressure on Syria. Simultaneously, there has been a series of attempts by right wing elements in Syria to overthrow the Government, the latest of these being a strike called by shop-keepers in the main cities in protest against an atheist article in an army newspaper. This strike was broken by teams of trade union "red guards" forcing the shops to open. The pattern is a familiar one: the big oil monopolies cannot afford the existence of a regime that drives too hard a bargain, therefore they have attempted by various means to replace it. When the normal ClA-type activities failed, pressure from the outside via Israel was organised. The role of Egypt in all this is more complicated. Nasser is no friend of the present Syrian regime, but he cannot allow it to be toppled by the Israelis. If this takes place his posture as champion of the Arab world will be exposed as mere verbiage. He is undoubtedly working on the assumption that the Soviet Union will back him - at least in words. The role of the Soviet Union is complex too: the Kremlin leaders must view with some trepidation an American success on their door-step (the Middle East is a different kettle of fish from South East Asia); furthermore, in their efforts to bring about a compromise peace in Vietnam they must desire some kind of concession from the Americans. Thus the whole Middle East crisis must be seen in the context of the world relationship of forces known: as the cold war, For socialists in Britain, the major task is to oppose British intervention on the side of Israel against the Arabs. We can have no illusions in Nasser but we must seek to defend the anti-imperialist Government of Syria. We should demand no British intervention and the withdrawal of all British forces from the Middle East.