Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Yosef Tekoah, announced today that Israel has been informed of Egypt’s reply to its latest note through UN mediator Gunnar V. Jarring and was examining the content of the reply. Tekoah who met with Jarring today, told newsmen afterwards, “The Government of Israel issued a statement following its Cabinet meeting last Sunday that we are awaiting the Egyptian reply to questions submitted by us through Ambassador Jarring. We have now been informed by Ambassador Jarring of the United Arab Republic’s views on the situation and we shall examine these views in the light of our questions submitted through Jarring.” Tekoah did not elaborate. Israel’s latest note to Egypt inquired as to whether Israel was included in Cairo’s stated readiness to conclude peace with and recognize the sovereignty of all countries in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Egyptian Ambassador Mohammed H. el-Zayyat described as “nonsense” today a published report attributing to him endorsement of a Jewish State of Israel provided Israel limited Jewish immigration. The account, in yesterday’s New York Post, was said to be based on an interview with Dr. Zayyat in which he backed the sovereignty of such a state-with the addition of a Palestinian state-as the most logical and pragmatic arrangement, as two adjoining states would be more amenable to peacemaking than a state combining Jews and Palestinians. The burly envoy, questioned about the report by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, said he had chatted with the Post correspondent over coffee in the delegates’ lounge but had not given him the story that was published. Dr. Zayyat declined to elaborate, but repeated that the report was “nonsense.” He appeared irritated by the whole subject, and in fact, volunteered his comment to the JTA reporter before being formally asked.
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.
