Opposition Mounts to Dayan’s Interim Accord Terms with Egypt on Canal Reopening

Opposition is developing within the Cabinet to the tough terms laid down by Defense Minister Moshe Dayan for any interim arrangement with Egypt to reopen the Suez Canal, informed sources said today. According to the sources, one group of ministers believes that Dayan’s insistence on a formal armistice or statement of non-belligerency from Egypt is unrealistic and might put Israel in an unfavorable light before world opinion. The ministers believe a formal extension of the current de facto cease-fire should be sufficient to start talks about an interim arrangement. But even these moderates realize that their position is still a long way from what Cairo has offered, the sources said. The Egyptian government has demanded a unilateral pull-back of Israeli forces and the occupation of their positions by Egyptian troops as a pre-condition to any interim arrangement.