Sen. Jackson: Israel Would Be Unwise to Return to Talks Before Missile Roll-back

A United States Senator told Israelis today that it would be “unwise to return to the (Jarring) talks” before the Egyptians rolled back their Soviet missile batteries from the Suez cease-fire zone. Sen. Henry M. Jackson, Democrat of Washington, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, spoke to newsmen after landing at Lydda Airport from a special U.S. Air force plane that brought him to Israel on what he described as a “private visit.” Sen. Jackson declared that “if the Russians and Egyptians are in earnest about continuing the Jarring talks” they had better remove the missiles installed during the previous 90-day cease-fire. Stressing that he was expressing his private opinion, the Senator said a missile roll-back must be “a pre-condition for continuing the talks” because “you can’t make a deal with the Russians by concessions.” He said that continued deployment of missiles in the truce zone would aggravate the situation and observed that the U.S. had a “real reply” to the missiles “which would balance the situation.” He did not specify what it was. Sen. Jackson is presumed to have been referring to increased U.S. military deliveries to Israel. He will be in Israel for five days during which he will meet with Premier Golda Meir and other Israeli political and military leaders. Sen. Jackson said this visit could be considered a private visit because he brought no official message with him.