Israel and the U.S. announced Thursday that a month-long search for the missing Israeli submarine Dakar in Egyptian coastal waters failed to find any trace of the undersea craft and has been called off.
The search was financed by Israel from U.S. aid funds and was approved by Egypt after lengthy negotiations. It began on September 4 and was abandoned on October 4. Although the Egyptians had allowed 70 days for the undertaking, the U.S. Navy, with Israel’s concurrence, decided there was no point to continue.
The Dakar, a British-built submarine of World War II vintage, was purchased by the Israel Navy in 1967 and was on her delivery voyage to Haifa with an Israeli crew of 69 when she disappeared somewhere in the eastern Mediterranean. The vessel was last heard from on January 25, 1968.
Shlomo Erell, who commanded the Israel Navy at the time, said Thursday that the search was a mistake which needlessly raised the hopes of families of the crew members that bodies could be recovered if the Dakar was found. In fact, a team of Israeli chaplains stood by during the search to be available in such an event. Erell also expressed doubt that the submarine was lost in the search area.
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