Middle East

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 6 July 1967.

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Photo of Mr Duncan Sandys Mr Duncan Sandys , Wandsworth Streatham 12:00, 6 July 1967

That is precisely what I said.

I turn now to the wider aspects of the Middle East problem. The recent war has drawn attention to some of the stark realities which many have been trying to sweep under the carpet for some time. The first is that Russia is making a determined bid to become the dominant Power in the Middle East, both economically and militarily. If this is allowed to happen, it would not only seriously threaten oil supplies, but would place a formidable barrier across the communications between Europe and Asia. It is time that we and other interested countries began seriously to consider what action we can take to prevent this dangerous development.

There is no doubt that the Russians are pouring arms into Egypt. They are doing this partly to rebuild the shattered prestige of their protégé, Nasser, and partly to restore Soviet influence in the Arab world. The Egyptians will, I am sure, be in no hurry to engage in another war with Israel. On the other hand, this massive build-up of Egyptian armaments is bound to lead to an intensive effort by Israel to increase her military strength.

Neither should we take it for granted that the arms race in the Middle East will indefinitely be confined to conventional weapons. Israel is technically capable of making nuclear armaments. Unless some worldwide agreement on non-proliferation can be reached tairly soon, it will be unwise to assume that Israel will for much long refrain from so doing. If India, which now feels increasingly menaced by the Chinese hydrogen bomb, decides to do the same, any prospect there may be of preventing the spread of nuclear weapons will disappear.

The problem is to provide security for countries which agree to remain nonnuclear—security not only against nuclear attack, but also against attack by stronger neighbours with conventional arms. It is clear that these countries cannot look to the United Nations to provide this security either now or for many years to come. In my view, there are only three possible courses. The first is for the two super-Powers, Russia and America, to give a joint guarantee. The second is for one or other of them to give a separate guarantee. The third is to do nothing and allow more and more countries to acquire nuclear weapons, which means accepting the inevitability of a nuclear war sooner or later.

In view of the urgent need for some international system of security and the total failure of the United Nations to provide it, we must recognise that, until some effective world authority is created, the only hope of preserving peace is for the great Powers to agree to police the world together. I am not suggesting that that is necessarily an attractive proposition, but I am trying to think in terms of what might conceivably be possible. Although we are still a long way from it, I cannot see any other method of avoiding a world conflict within the next 20 years.

One of the outstanding features of the recent crisis was that, while General de Gaulle talked rather grandly of a conference of the four great Powers, it was painfully obvious that there are only two. Although the crisis broke out on Europe's very doorstep, the European nations exercised little or no influence upon the course of events. It is quite absurd that Europe, with her large and highly-educated population, her immense industrial and technical resources and her wide experience, should have no effective say in the councils of the world. But, whether we like it or not, that is in fact the position today; and the only way to change it is to create a truly united Europe which will not only pool its economic resources but will be capable of speaking with one voice on the great political issues which shape the course of history.

As I have tried to show, the crisis in the Middle East has thrown into relief a number of varied problems. I do not pretend to know the answers, but I have ventured to express a few thoughts upon them.