‘izvestia’ Raps ‘washington Hawks and Zionists’ on Mideast

The Soviet Union has charged “Washington hawks and American Zionist quarters” with playing a role with the American press in waging a “slanderous campaign” to distort the Russian negotiating position on a Middle East political settlement. The charges were made in Izvestia in an article entitled “On Tel Aviv’s Promptings” by M. Sturua. distributed by the Soviet UN mission.

“Certain American correspondents,” the article in the Government paper said, “are attempting to create the impression that Soviet policy is allegedly undergoing a definite erosion” in an attempt to “sow doubt in the world public and the public of the Arab countries as to the Soviet Union’s Middle Eastern policy.” It was reported in the American press that Russia may relax its insistence of total Israeli withdrawal from occupied areas. The article says that “at present” Russia demands Israeli withdrawal from Sinai, Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. Assertions that Russia is relaxing its stand, the article said, are “groundless.” Moscow, it said, opposed direct talks “under the present conditions.” Izvestia warned that “those quarters who attempt to stir up trouble by slanderous concoctions not only engage in wishful thinking but are causing serious damage to a peaceful settlement in the Middle East.”