Foreign Minister Abba Eban told the Knesset this morning that Israel has received a total of $250 million in economic aid from the United States since 1967. But Israeli newspapers reported today the possibility of a further hardening of the American position on military aid to Israel. According to correspondents Haggai Eshed, of Davar and Dan Margalit of Haaretz, both considered to be very well informed, the curtailment of US military supplies may include not only Phantom jets but other items of equipment.
The papers said this was hinted to Ambassador Yitzhak Rabin and Maj. Gen. David Elazar, chief of the General Staff branch at Israeli General Headquarters, by US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Joseph J. Sisco at a recent meeting in Washington. Haaretz said today that President Nixon was considering meetings with President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Premier Golda Meir early next year in a personal effort to break the deadlock in the Middle East.
The paper claimed that Nixon’s new initiative may be announced in December but the meetings would probably take place in January or February. It said that unofficial soundings for such a move were made with President Tito of Yugoslavia when he visited Washington last month. Tito is close to the Egyptian leadership. Haaretz said a Nixon-Sadat meeting would be followed by a similar meeting with Mrs. Meir. (In Washington, State Department spokesman Charles Bray said today he did not know the foundation for the report of a Nixon-Sadat meeting.)
The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee yesterday discussed Israel’s preparedness for any eventuality it may have to face in the near future, it was announced today. Defense Minister Moshe Dayan briefed the committee. The Knesset committee normally discusses such matters but the fact that a special announcement was made indicated that the MKs wanted to make the point that Israel will not be caught with its guard down despite possible cuts in the fiscal 1972 defense budget.
Although details of the briefing were not disclosed there was an indication that the officials were concerned with warnings by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat that the Middle East crisis must be resolved by the end of this year.
Eban reaffirmed to the Knesset today that the government continues to insist on an unlimited cease-fire and a ban on Egyptian troop crossings of the Suez Canal as conditions for any interim agreement that might be concluded between the two sides. Eban told the Knesset officially that the Cabinet had decided unanimously to pursue negotiations with France over the 50 embargoed Israeli Mirage jets. But he refused to give any details of the talks which have been going on in Paris for the past several weeks. Eban said German Foreign Minister Walter Scheel’s visit here last July did much to strengthen relations between Israel and West Germany. He said the diplomatic dialogue and the flow of aid from West Germany had greatly increased since the visit.
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