Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Yosef Tekoah, denied today that Soviet arms shipments to Egypt have decreased in recent months, as has been reported. Addressing the 2,000 delegates to the biannual convention of the United Synagogue of America, Tekoah contended that the balance of power in the Middle East has in fact shifted against Israel, and that “if Soviet shipments are not up to par” the reason was more likely internal production problems than a change in policy.
He declared in this connection that “Any withholding of supplies by our friends, for whatever reasons, means encouraging the intransigence of our enemies.” He referred to “a definite modification, a shift in the attitude of the US government on questions that are essential to us.” Tekoah added that US “talk of a compromise” on an Egyptian troop crossing of the Suez Canal, coupled with the US suggestion that a cease-fire agreement be reduced from an indefinite period to six months, “raises the possibility of a resumption of firing by Egypt” after an Israeli pullback from the canal.
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.
