Nassers massive armament program has compelled Israel to step up its own military expenditures in selfdefense. And so the Middle East is caught up in a vicious arms spiral. Somehow the nations of the Middle East must extricate themselves from this spiral if a major war is to be averted. But thus far Nasser has consistently rejected all attempts to normalize relations with the State of Israel. to solve the Arab refugee problem on a cooperative basis. and to put an end to the arms race which threatens his own people just as much as it does the people of Israel and of the surrounding Arab States.