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Tekoah Returning to Un, As Egypt Sets Up National Defense Council for War

January 31, 1969
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Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Yosef Tekoah, was due here tomorrow to consult with Mideast envoy Gunnar V. Jarring. His return coincides with a new degree of Egyptian militancy, as Cairo announced formation of a National Defense Council empowered to declare war.

Government officials said the Council will be led by President Nasser and will have the power to order military mobilization, determine the size and armament of Egyptian armed forces and control war preparations and civil defense. It will also be empowered to sign military pacts, truce agreements and peace treaties.

The Mideast crisis will be discussed by President Nixon and British Prime Minister Harold Wilson “very soon,” the White House said today. Observers said a formula may be sought to meet Franco-Soviet efforts to exploit the Arab-Israel crisis for the advancement of the former’s Mideast interests.

A meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will be convened in the near future to consider, among other things, the latest developments in the Mideast and Mediterranean area, it was announced.

In Montreal, the French Ambassador to Canada, Pierre Siraud, told the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, “France stands firm for the protection of Israel’s neighboring states which are . . , weakened and threatened by the prolonged conflict.

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