If the United States arms Egypt it must provide Israel with an equal quantity of weapons, Dr. Walter Eytan, director general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, demanded on a broadcast last night over Kol Zion, the Israel Government station.
The Western Powers’ declaration guaranteeing the balance of power in the Middle East lost its validity the moment the United States decided to strengthen Iraq without strengthening Israel adequately, Dr. Eytan declared. Now when the U.S. is planning to strengthen Egypt there “isn’t much sense” to guaranteeing Israel on paper–” if one of the mightiest of Western Powers acts contrary to its earlier declaration, why should Israel rely on a new declaration?” he queried.
Dr. Eytan noted that while the U. S. might be quite sincere in wishing to arm Egypt so it could defend the Suez Canal zone after the British withdraw, the Egyptians want arms to renew the war with Israel. He underscored the fact the Col. Gamal Abdul Nasser, Egypt’s Premier, recently referred to Israel as Egypt’s “Number One enemy.”
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.
