Israel Receives New Skyhawks from the U.S.
(February 6, 1968)
This memo from Under Secretary for Political Affairs
Walt Rostow to President Johnson outlines the terms
of the sale of Skyhawk aircraft to Israel.
SUBJECT
Aircraft Sale to Israel
Just to give you a full response to
your queries Sunday, the Israelis and Defense signed
the agreement on January 30 for 40 more Skyhawks. They
did this on the basis of your statement to Eshkol that
you would add 27-30 Skyhawks to the present agreement
- or another 10 if needed. Israel asked for 40.
I think we get two things out of this:
First, for the first time we have made
a 100% cash sale to Israel for arms ? $60 million. They
were in a hurry since the contract had to be signed
by 1 February to take advantage of the production line
arrangements Secretary McNamara worked out at your request.
Second, we will take advantage of your
having gone the extra mile with Eshkol in our coming
approaches to Eshkol and Eban to get the Jarring exercise
off dead center.
Third, with this response and our generous
handling of General Hod we seem to have bought a calm
on the subject of aircraft for Israel. It remains to
be seen, but we hope we may also have bought quiet ? at
least from the Israelis themselves ? on our Jordan arms
package.
In addition, you should know that Generals
Hod and Wheeler had a good series of talks. Hod went
back to Israel to do some homework and sent four of
his officers back for technical discussions. If any
cover was needed, the negotiations for the added Skyhawks
provided it. Now General Wheeler is waiting for the
final answers he needs from Hod to prepare the memo
you asked for following the Eshkol visit.
One other point you should be aware
of is that Secretary McNamara has married the current
Skyhawk production line to the new one so as to slow
the present one slightly but complete delivery of all
Skyhawks by January 1970. This means that 4 were delivered
in December; 28 will be delivered in 1968; 56 will be
delivered in 1969 and January 1970. This pushes 16 originally
scheduled for 1968 delivery into 1969, but the Israelis
have agreed.
Walt
Sources: Foreign
Relations of the United States, 1964-1968, V. 20, Arab-Israeli Dispute
1967-1968. DC: GPO,
2001. |