September 17, 65 years ago [pg. 14]

By ALEXANDER ZVIELLI
65 YEARS AGO On September 17, 1941, The Palestine Post reported that the US Navy would henceforth protect all Lend and Lease cargoes crossing between the American continent and waters adjacent to Iceland and would "shoot first" at any planes or vessels suspected of interference. Finland had officially announced that it had no desire to become involved in the "trial of strength" between the Big Powers, and its actions were purely defensive in aiming to restore its former borders, lost after the war with the Soviet Union in 1939 and 1940. Iran faced radical changes in the wake of the joint British-Soviet occupation after Shah Riza Khan Pahlavi had abdicated in favor of his eldest son, Shahpur Mohammed Riza Pahlavi. 50 YEARS AGO On September 17, 1956, The Jerusalem Post reported that Britain, France and the US announced that a new 18-nation "Suez Canal Users" conference would convene in London to secure the international rights pertaining to this important waterway. In the meantime Britain called upon the US to reroute all American vessels around Africa, and to offer financial aid for all ships that would avoid using the Canal and be rerouted around the Cape. Meanwhile Egyptian President Abdul Nasser mobilized a powerful Afro-Asian bloc at the UN to fight the Western initiative and speed the Canal operating crews' training, with experienced pilots just arrived from the Soviet Union. The UN and the US criticized both Israel and Jordan for the latest spate of the border incidents in which a number of Jordanians and Israelis were killed. UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold was expected to personally intervene to stop the latest border violations. Syria returned two kidnapped Israelis. Over 100,000 Israelis were expected to benefit from the latest German restitution legislation. 25 YEARS AGO On September 17, 1981, The Jerusalem Post reported that the US agreed that Israel could sell Kfir fighter planes to Peru. Egypt announced the opening of a consulate in Eilat and agreed that Israeli trucks would be able to drive all the way to Cairo. The US indicated to Israel that future strategic military cooperation depended in large measure on the quiet Israeli acceptance of the delivery of American AWACS planes to Saudi Arabia. The Post published an extensive report on "Dreams for the Negev" by David Krivine.