The State Department said today that the US remains “available” to assist Israel and Egypt to work out an interim agreement on the Suez Canal but could not say when negotiations might begin. Department spokesman Charles Bray said in reply to questions at today’s news briefing, “We remain available to the parties’ wishes to make use of our services in their search for an interim agreement.” He added, “As to when this process might be restarted, I cannot now predict.” Bray declined to comment on a charge by Tass, the official Soviet news agency, that the US can no longer act impartially in Mideast negotiations.
He had no comment on another report that the senior Egyptian diplomatic representative in Washington, Ashraf Ghorbal, is back in Cairo with the latest US proposals for an interim settlement. Bray said that the likelihood of talks between Israel and Egypt was “a function of the desire of the parties themselves to which we will do our best to be responsive.” Asked when more Phantom jets will be delivered to Israel, the State Department spokesman said President Nixon had covered that in his televised interview Sunday night.
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