Israel Ambassador Abba Eban late today, after an emergency hour-long talk with assistant Secretary of State Henry A. Byroade, made known that he strongly urged the State Department to desist from what he termed “such an imprudent cause” as the arming of Iraq. Mr. Eban said the purpose of today’s meeting was to seek clarification for the Israel Government of statements issued today in Baghdad and Washington on the subject of the transfer of free American munitions to Iraq and to urge abstention from this course.
The Israel Ambassador reiterated his government’s strongest and most vigorous conviction that such arms supplies would increase tension in what he described as an already tense area. In response to Secretary Byroade’s explanation of why Iraq was to receive arms, Mr. Eban made it clear that Israel opposed the entire concept of military aid to a country like Iraq because of its present hostile attitude toward Israel.
Before Ambassador Eban met with Secretary Byroade, the Secretary spent one-and-a-half hours with Jacob Blaustein, former president of the American Jewish Committee. Mr. Blaustein and Secretary Byroade exchanged opinions on the State Department’s decision to supply arms to Iraq.
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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.
