The Cabinet met yesterday to discuss the situation along the Suez Canal amid indications that Egypt was setting the political stage for a renewal very soon of warfare against Israel. The quiet along the waterway was shattered Saturday when Egyptian forces opened fire twice on an Israeli patrol. There were no casualties and Israeli soldiers did not return the fire. But the incident was the first time since the cease-fire went into effect in Aug. 1970 that an Israeli patrol came under direct attack. But tension increased nevertheless and Israeli forces were placed on the alert in view of recent war threats from Cairo.
According to Western observers, Egyptian preparations along the canal tally with indications in Cairo news media that at least a limited resumption of war against Israel is planned. The Cairo newspaper Al Ahram, which often speaks for the government, said Egypt will ask within the next 10 days for an emergency session of the UN Security Council. It will seek a resolution demanding that Israel reply affirmatively to UN mediator Gunnar V. Jarring’s Feb. 8 memo asking Israel for a withdrawal commitment. If Israel rejects such a resolution-it is expected that Israel will do so-Dr. Jarring would be asked to issue a “final report” on his peace mission that began in 1968. The final report would be a concession of failure of that mission which in turn, according to Al Ahram, would provide justification for Egypt to end the cease-fire.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
