Government officials said today that the United States would immediately accept and fill a West German order for 88 F-4 Phantom Jet fighter-bombers, the supersonic plane that Israel asked to buy more than a year ago and for which sales negotiations have just begun.
The officials’ reference was to an announcement in Bonn that West Germany had decided to buy the Phantom jets to counter the build-up of Soviet jets in Czechoslovakia since the occupation by Soviet-led forces last August. They said implementation of the sale rested only on approval by the Bonn Government’s budgetary committee which controls the purse-strings. The purchase has already been approved by the military committee of the Bundestag, West Germany’s lower house.
The United States officials said the sale of Phantoms to West Germany was “much less complicated” than sale of the same aircraft to Israel. An Administration source said “the Germans are in a different category than the Israelis. We are solidly committed to German security, but Israel represents another situation altogether. We are mindful of various ramifications of selling jets to Israel and it is much less complicated to honor the German order.” Officials pointed out further that the U.S. considers West Germany “the cornerstone of NATO” but has no treaty commitments to Israel which is a “free agent.” They said arms sales to Israel are negotiated on a case-by-case basis and various diplomatic factors are taken into account.
American officials said that they “welcomed” the West German decision to purchase the Phantoms which would strengthen Bonn’s Air Force and take some of the burden off the U.S. Air Force. Officials said the West German order for the Phantom jets would be handled routinely and export licenses would be issued as soon as the order is transmitted to the U.S. Government.
The Washington Evening Star said today that “American officials are not as certain as Foreign Minister Abba Eban that negotiations over the Phantom jets would go quickly and routinely.” According to the paper “these sources say the talks may be prolonged.” The Star learned that “one problem to be ironed out – although not in direct connection with the negotiations – is the Israeli attitude toward the treaty limiting the spread of nuclear weapons.”
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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.
