Jerusalem Sees Nasser Speech As Threat to Jarring Mission, Rejection of Compromise

Col. Nasser’s fire-eating speech at Helwan last night in which he pledged the recapture of territories taken by Israel in the Six-Day War, may jeopardize the Jarring peace mission, informed sources said here tonight. Official Israeli circles took a serious view of Nasser’s statement that a Middle East settlement could not be attained by peaceful means.

In the course of his long speech, President Nasser did not mention Ambassador Gunnar Jarring, the United Nations envoy, but the tone of his speech was violent and Nasser apparently reacted to the applause of his audience. His speech, informed sources said, indicated how, because of internal Egyptian pressures. Nasser was liable to spike attempts at a peaceful solution. The speech itself, it was said, was evidence of powerful opposition to Nasser within Egypt, an opposition stronger than had previously been suspected, even by Nasser himself. The speech was described here as a continuation of an intransigent position and a rejection of any attempt at compromise.