A decision to turn down Israel’s plea for more Phantom and Skyhawk jets is “99 percent agreed on within the government,” John Scali, State Department correspondent of the American Broadcasting Co., said on the ABC televised evening newscast yesterday. However, the Nixon administration “will assure Israel that American planes will be made available if the military balance changes to threaten Israel’s existence.” On the same newscast, ABC’s Rome Bureau chief Barrie Dunsmore reported that large numbers of Russian SA-3 ground-to-air missiles have been delivered to Egypt for the past five days. Mr. Dunsmore described the SA-3 as “one of the most sophisticated defense systems in the Russian arsenal” and noted that the significance of the deliveries is that they are entirely defense weapons. “There was no evidence of any long range missiles or long range fighter bombers such as the MIG-23 in the shipments,” Mr. Dunsmore reported.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
