Percy: Israel Should Net Have to Make Major Concessions Without Quid Pro Quo

Sen. Charles Percy declared today that the United States “should not expect Israel to make the major concessions–withdrawal from the east bank of the canal and permission for Egyptian forces to cross the canal–without a quid pro quo.” The Illinois Republican said “this could establish a precedent for further withdrawals at a later date without concrete assurances for Israel’s security. The opening of the canal could be an important first step toward an overall settlement in the Middle East, Percy added, noting that an “agreement now by which Egypt and the Soviet Union would reap the benefits of opening the canal, while Israel would voluntarily withdraw her forces from the east bank would not be conductive to fair, even-handed bargaining later.”