THE ARMING OF ISRAEL AND ITS IMPACT ON REGIONAL AND WORLD PEACE AND EUROPEAN DETENTE * Tiirkkaya ATAÖV I. Introduction: The problem of ending the arms race in our age requires a radical solution. The spirit of detente has scored several gains on the continent of Europe. But the Middle East and Eastern Medi-terranean, which may also be termed as the south of Europe, are among the best equipped regions of the worId in terms of ar-maments. It is generally believed that ali the Middle Eastern coun-tries taken together have the same number of tanks and combat planes as ali the NATO forces in Europe. It is no wonder, then, that the Middle East has experienced five wars, the situation there being explosive at present. The accumulation of stockpiles of arms in such an explosive area increases the fears of the other side, creating an atmosphere further leading to an unchecked growth of tension. Such spending on arms certainly impedes the develop-ment of the Middle Eastern countries as well. 

The problem of ending the arms race in our age requires a radical solution. The spirit of detente has scored several gains on the continent of Europe. But the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean, which may also be termed as the south of Europe, are among the best equipped regions of the worId in terms of armaments. It is generally believed that ali the Middle Eastern countries taken together have the same number of tanks and combat planes as ali the NATO forces in Europe. It is no wonder, then, that the Middle East has experienced five wars, the situation there being explosive at present. The accumulation of stockpiles of arms in such an explosive area increases the fears of the other side, creating an atmosphere further leading to an unchecked growth of tension. Such spending on arms certainly impedes the development of the Middle Eastern countries as well.