WORLD IN BRIEF : MIDDLE EAST : Soviets Offer to Sell MIG-31 Jets to Israel

Soviet Aircraft Industry Minister Apollon Systsov startled Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Arens at the Paris Air Show by offering to sell Israel any defensive equipment it wants, including advanced MIG-31 fighters. Arens’ jaw visibly dropped when Systsov told him in front of reporters, “With just three MIG-31s, you could protect all of Israel.” Systsov said later that once the two nations have established full diplomatic relations, “we will be ready to sell Israel any defensive equipment it requires . . . and the MIG-31 is a solely defensive interceptor aircraft.”