State Department sources indicated today that the U.S. Government is not inclined to make arms available to Israel at present. However, they hinted that Israel might get some arms from Western nations other than the United States.
Rep. Hugh Scott, Pennsylvania, and Rep. Kenneth Keating, New York, both Republicans, today issued a statement on the arms issue after conferring with Deputy Under Secretary of State Robert Murphy and Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs George V. Allen. They said:
“We understand that the Mystery jets will proceed shortly from France to Israel and negotiations between Israel and other Western countries, some of which have been Israel’s normal source of supplies for armaments heretofore, are proceeding actively. It is to be noted that the ability of these countries to help Israel can be traced to previous help from the U.S., especially as a result of the U.S. offshore procurement policy. Had the U.S. not aided these free Western countries their furnishing of armaments to Israel now would be impossible.”
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