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Weizman Bets Bottle of Whiskey That Carter Will Win Re-election

February 5, 1980
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Israel Defense Minister Ezer Weizman, in a television interview shown last night, said he expected President Carter to be re-elected but refused to “advise” American Jews to support Carter.

Weizman was interviewed in Israel by Mike Wallace on the CBS-TV production “60 Minutes.” There was no indication if the interview was conducted before or after Weizman’s controversial remarks in Washington in December and Israel Television last week supporting Carter’s re-election.

When Wallace said that he had heard that Weizman believed Carter would be re-elected, the Defense Minister replied that he had bet a bottle of whiskey on it. Wallace noted that many American Jews oppose Carter, and Weizman replied that they were caught up in the general feeling among Americans, a statement he did not explain.

But when Wallace asked if Weizman would “advise” his “brethren” in the United States to support Carter, the Defense Minister declared, “I don’t advise anyone. “He added that he has trouble getting Israelis to accept his advice.

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