OCR Text |
Show Pres. Nassar Moderate President Abdul Nassar of the United Arab Republic is one of the greatest voices of moderation in the Middle East today stated Dr. Kosrow Mostofi, associate professor of political science and director of the University Uni-versity Middle East Center, at the Thursday Lecture. Dr. Mostofi expressed it was the more radical Arab states of Jordan and Syria that brought about the June war and not Egypt. Mostofi described de-scribed Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eskol as the Jewish moderate and former Prime Minister David Ben Gurian and Defense Minister Mosche Dyan as Israeli hawks. Mostofi believes the only reason Nassar blocked the Gulf of Acaba was to find an excuse to bring Egyptian troops home from Yemen by involving them in a crisis closer to home. "Nassar wasn't expecting the war," said Mostofi. "The Egyptian Vice President was on route to Washington to speak with President Johnson about the crisis when the fighting broke out. Israel simply struck first to gain maximum advantage, and the Arabs were taken completely by surprise." There are three basic steps to a peaceful settlement in the Middle East situation, according to Dr. Mostofi, the successful evacuation of all refugees to their native states, the end of billigerency through recognition of all states in the area, and free passage through all Middle East territory by any party whatsoever. |