Egypt’s display of armaments made by German scientists and of Soviet armaments, at today’s “Revolution Day” parade in Cairo, was viewed here by Brig. Gen. Tzvi Tzur, chief of staff of Israel’s defense forces, as “a display against Israel.”
In an address this afternoon to graduates of Israel’s Communications Officers Course, Gen. Tzur said that Nasser’s exhibition of new armaments “should act as an alarm and as a warning sign” for Israel. “We shall sin if we under-estimate its meaning,” he said.
Israelis possessing television sets saw, and others heard through radio descriptions, the massive arms displayed by Nasser’s forces in the parade at Cairo today. Among the new weapons, there were a 30-foot, two-stage Vanguard rocket with a range of more than 360 miles — enough to hit an Israeli target if guided accurately. Egypt also announced its first domestically built submarine which will start trial runs in 15 days.
There were at least four new Vanguard rockets, six Zafir rockets which have a range of 220 miles, six Kaher rockets, and six Soviet-made SA-2, anti-aircraft rockets. The Vanguard appeared to be an advanced model of Egyptian rockets shown earlier. Also displayed, were MIG-21 jet fighters, built by the Soviet Union, turboprop troop transports designed and built in Egypt by German scientists, and Jet trainers. The Russian MIG-21’s are capable of flying at supersonic speeds.
In a speech last night in Cairo, Col. Nasser declared that the Arabs failed in their 1948 war against the then new State of Israel “because we were seven nations.” Plans to “liberate Palestine,” he said, depended “not on words alone but on one plan, with armies, with missiles, with everything.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
