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Reporter Serving Jewish Press Visits Egypt, Sees Construction of Military Installations

May 23, 1968
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A reporter of the Day–Morning Journal, a Yiddish daily newspaper in New York City, and a Tel Aviv daily, said here today that he saw large scale construction of underground military installations while traveling between Cairo and Alexandria. Gershon Jacobson, who is also a correspondent for the Tel Aviv daily, Yediot Acharonot, told reporters that he conferred in Cairo with Egyptian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Riad and Mohammed Hassan Heykal, editor of the semi-official newspaper, Al Ahram, of Cairo.

Mr. Jacobson told reporters here that he received the impression that Egypt was not interested in peace because any such agreement was regarded as yielding to Israel. Officials fear that if peace came, Israel’s economy would engulf Egypt, he said. Mr. Jacobson said that on a desert road between Alexandria and Cairo, which is closed to private transportation, he saw workers building either an airstrip or missile launching base. He traveled the road by bus.

Mr. Jacobson obtained his visa from the Egyptian Embassy in the United States. The Embassy, he said, was fully aware of his newspaper connections. He said that many Egyptians knew about him and sought his autograph.

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