Premier Golda Meir of Israel reportedly told a closed meeting of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations that the United States is not pressuring Israel politically or economically and characterized the US as the “friendliest country” toward Israel, it was learned today. Speaking to some 400 Jewish leaders who gave her a standing ovation when she entered the meeting hall and applauded frequently during her 55-minute address, Mrs. Meir praised both President Nixon and Secretary of State William P. Rogers for the “warmth” they had shown when she met with them last Thursday in Washington.
Without specifically mentioning whether or not either official had made commitment to sell Israel Phantom jets, Mrs. Meir noted that she had been told that Israel has the best pilots and the best airforce in the Middle East. “Our pilots are good,” she reportedly told the meeting. “but we have no right to send them against Soviet pilots without being properly equipped. Even the best pilots need planes to fly.”
Mrs. Meir stated that if Phantom jets were withheld, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat could take this as a sign that negotiation at this time with Israel are not necessary and try to put his bellicose words into practical action. “So long as the Soviet Union continues to send planes to
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.
