Israelis Welcome British-u.s. Statement Against Encouraging Arms Race

Israel circles here today welcomed the statement by U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and Britain’s Foreign Minister Harold Macmillan in which they appealed to Russia against encouraging an armament race and expressed a desire “to correct the impression that the United States is going to offer arms to Egypt to forestall the Soviet Union in supplying them.”

The Israel circles understand that Assistant Secretary of State George V. Allen, in his conversation yesterday with Israel Ambassador Abba Eban, made what amounted to a denial of press reports ascribing to the U.S. an intention to supply arms to Egypt. Mr. Allen is believed to have pointed out that both Israel and Egypt are eligible for reimbursable military aid under 1952 agreements with the U.S., but that Egypt had not been offered any special consideration beyond insignificant amounts which have been sold to each of the countries under these agreements in the past.

Israel circles, however, are understood to be studying the implications of the Egyptian-Czech arms agreement which they view gravely. They consider this agreement a new threat to stability in the Middle East and feel that now the Western Powers should move swiftly to repair the arms balance in the Middle East and to underwrite Israel security.

American and British reactions to the reported Soviet arms offer to Egypt were given to Russia’s Foreign Minister V.M. Molotov last night by Messrs. Dulles and Macmillan. Mr. Molotov is reported to have listened to the Dulles-Macmillan reactions and promised to relay them to his government.