A Pentagon source indicated to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency Friday that the U.S. government is refraining from keeping its commitment to ship Lance surface-to-surface missiles systems to Israel in view of President Ford’s call for reassessment of U.S. policy in the Middle East.
The delay was seen in some quarters here as deliberate U.S. policy of official coldness toward Israel for refusing to accept Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger’s suggestions for reaching an agreement with Egypt on Israel’s surrender of the two passes and oil fields in the Sinai and a form of pressure on Israel to alter its position.
The State Department declined to discuss the projected shipment of the medium-range guided missiles when questioned by JTA. It referred inquiries to the Pentagon. There a spokesman gave the following statement:
STATE DEPARTMENT STATEMENT
“During Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s visit to the United States last fall we agreed to substantial military shipments to Israel. For the most part, these have been completed. They have had a major impact on Israel’s defense capability. Our military relationships with Israel always are under study. At the present time these efforts are being integrated into our overall Middle East reassessment. This includes the question of new commitments as well as completion of the arrangements on a few items that have been under discussion in the past.
While the spokesman refused to amplify any of the points in his statement, the JTA learned that the items “under discussion in the past” include the Lance missiles.
ALLON, PERES TOLD NOT TO COME
The State Department also refused to discuss the reports that the U.S. had informed the Israeli government that visits by Foreign Minister Yigal Allon and Defense Minister Shimon Peres would be premature. It was reported that the U.S. took the position that there would be no purpose in their coming here before the reassessment was completed. The Pentagon, however, confirmed that it asked the Israeli government to delay Peres’ visit while the reassessment was underway.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
