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Peres Says He Would Say ‘yes’ if the U.S. Asked for Israel’s Help Again in Freeing Hostages

December 9, 1986
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Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said Monday that if the United States asked for Israel’s help again in the matter of freeing hostages, his answer would be a firm “yes.”

He stressed that the only role Israel played in the arms shipments to Iran was to cooperate with the U.S. for vital aims, such as the release of hostages.

Peres emphatically denied foreign press reports that millions of dollars had been transferred to Israel and Switzerland for the purchase of arms for the Contras, the Reagan Administration-backed rebels trying to overthrow the Sandinista government of Nicaragua.

Israel has not sold weapons in the alleged deals for the Contras, reported in the New York Times, U.S. News and World Report and other publications, the Foreign Minister said on an Israel Radio interview.

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