The draft of an agreement under which France will reimburse Israel for 50 Mirage V jet fighters embargoed in 1967 by the late President Charles De Gaulle has been received here, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned from reliable sources today. The agreement must be approved by the Treasury and the Defense and Foreign ministries before it can be signed.
The agreement reportedly calls for payment by France of $75 million, partly in cash and partly in credits for Israeli purchases in France. Officials here stressed that the agreement was not expected to bring about an improvement in Franco-Israeli relations which have been strained since the 1967 Six-Day War.
They said it was a technical agreement stemming from the fact that the Mirages, once the backbone of Israel’s Air Force, have become obsolete and are of little use to Israel or even to a possible adversary in the Middle East. Furthermore, it was noted here, Israel needs the money to finance massive purchases of other defense equipment budgeted for the coming year.
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