Dinitz Says Israel Not Satisfied with U.S. Flow of Arms, but It is Neither an Embargo nor Stoppage

If the Israeli government is anxious or critical about U.S. official attitudes toward obtaining a second interim accord in the Sinai, or shipments of weapons to the Middle East, Israeli Ambassador Simcha Dinitz is not reflecting them publicly. After a 90-minute meeting with Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger that went into the dinner hour yesterday. Dinitz indicated to newsmen in the State Department lobby, that both the discussions on an agreement and the flow of weapons are not unsatisfactory.

Regarding Egypt’s latest reaction to Israeli proposals for a further Sinai withdrawal, Dinitz declined to discuss any aspect of the reaction but he noted that “I can say the course of negotiations is going on and this very fact is a good sign.”

On reports that the U.S. has slowed or ceased deliveries of military supplies contracted prior to President Ford’s reassessment order on March 24, even though the U.S. is willing to provide Jordan and North Yemen with arms, Dinitz said that his government is not completely satisfied with the flow of arms to Israel. But the situation on deliveries to Israel is “neither an embargo nor a stoppage,” Dinitz said. He added that “naturally we would like to see more openness and a greater flow” of supplies.

U.S. Ambassador to Egypt, Hermann Eilts, who brought the Egyptian reaction to the latest Israeli proposals to Washington last weekend, is waiting here for the Israeli views. It is understood that the reaction Dinitz received from Kissinger will be discussed in Jerusalem quickly and that the Israeli view will be submitted through Dinitz to Kissinger by the end of this week. Eilts will then carry them to Cairo in the ambassadorial version of shuttle diplomacy.