Premier Golda Meir repeated today that the Israel Air Force would fight Russian pilots if that became necessary to hold the Suez Canal line. Mrs. Meir, who spoke on the Armed Forces radio here said, “We do not seek opportunities to engage Russian pilots in combat… But one thing we cannot forego and that is self-defense. We shall have to do everything, with no consideration or regard for who is manning the planes, when the need arises to protect our Army and our lives with all that is involved.” Mrs. Meir made the same statement in a television interview on the BBC world affairs program “Panorama” broadcast in London last night. She told her Israeli listeners today that “We are not at war with the USSR. But if Russia sent pilots, and they are flying and if they will cause us to fight against them, we shall have no choice. We are not looking forward to this, nor do we have any such plans. But we shall not concede our defense and our lives on account of who sits in the cockpit.”
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.
