Repeating that Egypt was prepared to sacrifice a million men in battle against Israel, President Anwar Sadat promised today in a May Day speech in Alexandria that Israel would “pay an even higher price.” He declared that Egypt would not be satisfied with the liberation of the territories occupied by Israel but only with “the complete destruction of the Israeli arrogance.”
Sadat likened Israel to the Crusaders of the 11th century and said all Arab peoples must fight against the “Zionist invaders.” Sadat also rejected the American proposal for an interim agreement with Israel to reopen the Suez Canal. He told his audience, “The Russians help us with armaments but we shall fight by ourselves,” Political circles here commenting on Sadat’s speech said it represented a verbal escalation against Israel.
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