The White House today referred all questions about the Phantoms to the State Department, where officials made it clear that more was involved in negotiations than simply drawing up a sales contract. One official said that the sale of Phantoms to Israel would represent a significant new Involvement by the U.S. in Israel’s security requirements and that it was reasonable to seek some “quid pro quo,” which he did not define. It was believed that a deal over the Phantoms might involve Israeli concessions on the question of direct talks with the Arabs; adherence to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, which Israel has not signed; restraint on reprisal actions involving Jordan; and other points important to the State Department.
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