Senator Hugh Scott, Pennsylvania Republican, today urged the Government to re-examine its foreign policy positions in the Middle East and consider supplying defense arms to Israel.
Speaking in the Senate, Mr. Scott expressed his deep concern “over the deteriorating situation in the Middle East today, where Western positions of strength are in jeopardy from the imperialistic designs of Egypt’s President Nasser.” Noting that Nasser maintains 40,000 of his Soviet-equipped troops in Yemen and from there also initiates attacks on Aden, Mr. Scott said that Nasser is pursuing his goal of “driving Israel into the sea,” and rotating his troops in Yemen is part of his effort to build up a battle-hardened army.
“I am very much concerned that American foreign aid is permitting Nasser to divert other funds to purchase Soviet military supplies and to engage in this imperialistic war in Yemen, ” the Senator said. “Now is the time for the Johnson Administration to reexamine its whole Middle East policy. I urge specifically that the United States cut off all aid to Egypt. I further urge that the President consider the possibility of providing Israel with military defense equipment, as was done with the Hawk missile in 1962, to balance the advantage that Egypt now has from the aid flowing from both the United States and the Soviet Union.”
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