The French Government has decided not to lift its embargo on the shipment of Mirage jet fighters and other arms to Israel, which a French manufacturer has been holding up at Government request. The arms embargo was the principal topic of conversation during two days of talks here between Maj. Gen. Zwi Tsur, Deputy Defense Minister of Israel, and French Armed Forces Minister Pierre Messmer.
The jet fighters were bought and, according to reports, paid for in toto or in large part, before the Six-Day War erupted last June. However, an embargo on arms shipments to the Middle East was declared by President de Gaulle. It was reported here that only Gen. de Gaulle’s veto had frustrated Gen. Tsur’s effort to get possession of the planes now.
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