Foreign Minister Yigal Allon called in the British Ambassador, Sir Bernard Ledwidge last night to voice Israel’s concern over reports of impending massive Britain-Egypt arms deals. The reports followed last week’s visit to Britain by Egyptian Foreign Minister Ismail Fahmy. They spoke of deals totalling nearly half a billion Pounds Sterling. British officials have termed the reports premature — but have not denied their substance.
(The deal was made public when it was raised by some members of the British Parliament last week, Greville Janner, a labor MP and a leader in the British Jewish Community said “we have sold our souls up the River Nile. Selling arms to slaughter our friends is not the way to extract our economy from its present mess.”)
(In Washington, the State Department had no comments on the reports)
Allon also voiced his displeasure at public statements made by British Foreign Secretary James Callaghan at a dinner in honor of Fahmy which, Allon maintained, were in discord with the spirit of Security Council Resolution 242. Callaghan said, “I know Egyptian policy is firmly founded on the permanent realities of the Mideast situation as well as on the requirements of national honor and interest, an end to foreign occupation and the recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people…”
Allon is understood to have taken exception to the last two expressions which, he said, could imply a demand for total evacuation of all occupied areas and the creation of a West Bank Palestinian state.
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