Israel Shrugs Off Soviet Charge Over Jericho Missile
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JERUSALEM — An Israeli government source Friday dismissed an accusation by Moscow that Israel is threatening Soviet security by producing a nuclear-capable missile.
Radio Moscow’s daily Hebrew-language broadcast said Thursday that development of the Jericho II surface-to-surface missile threatens Soviet security and amounts to a nuclear challenge to the Soviet Union.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir said there would be no Israeli reaction to the charge. Another government source said, “It is ridiculous to assume Israel has any plans or intentions to threaten the U.S.S.R. with missiles or any other type of weapons.”
“The Jericho missile, if it exists, is designed to protect Israel against Arab aggression, and if its range extends to Soviet borders, that is coincidental,” the official said.
Israel has not acknowledged developing the weapon.
The Soviet comments came after the Geneva-based monthly Defence Review said this week that Israel test-fired in May a Jericho II missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and hitting distant Arab capitals.
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