Officials of the Arab League were reported here today from Cairo as assuring President Nasser of Egypt that most of the Arab countries would break relations with West Germany if the Bonn Government breaks relations with Cairo. They also said that steps are being taken to prepare a meeting of personal representatives of Arab rulers to discuss the relations between the Bonn Government and Israel.
Meanwhile, Nasser today threatened to break diplomatic relations with West Germany if the Bonn Government continues to send arms to Israel. The West German Government indicated that it may be forced to break relations with Egypt because of Nasser’s invitation of Walter Ulbricht, East Germany’s chief of state, if the Ulbricht visit leads to Nasser’s recognition of East Germany.
(In Bonn, State Secretary Gunther von Hase, official spokesman for the West German Government, told a press conference today that “the problem is not our relations with Israel, but the projected visit to Cairo by Ulbricht. This visit has priority over everything else. We have special relations with Israel, going back to the 1952 Reparations Agreement.” He added that the Bundestag, lower house of Parliament, will deal soon with the entire question of West German military aid to a number of countries, and “will seek a satisfactory solution to this problem.” He emphasized that West Germany wishes to have good relations with both the Arabs and Israel.)
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