Eban Says There is Nelther a Confrontation Cooling-off of U.s.-israeli Relations

Foreign Minister Abba Eban declared in the Knesset today that there was neither a “confrontation” nor a cooling-off of relations between Washington and Israel. He praised President Nixon’s “firm stand” against an imposed Middle East peace settlement. He disclosed that the President had reiterated that stand at his White House meeting yesterday with-President Zalman Shazar, of Israel who is presently visiting the United States. He charged that Egypt’s desire for an imposed settlement was the main stumbling block to peace. Speaking in reply to Haim Landau of the opposition Gahal faction, Eban conceded that there were differences of opinion between Israel and the U.S. on the question of borders. He said the U.S. never conosaled its view that any border changes should be only minor ones. Eban sharply criticized the Soviet Union and France for refusing to join in a Four Power appeal for an extension of the Suez cease-fire which expired at midnight last Sunday. He called it a “shocking political and moral scandal.” Moscow refused to go along with such an appeal apparently to avoid embarrassing President Sadat of Egypt who said his government would agree to no further extensions of the truce. Eban called Egypt’s reply to UN mediator Gunnar Jarring’s Feb. 8 questionnaire “quite unacceptable as a solution.” He maintained that Israel’s reply, on the other hand, offered “a wide range of possibilities.”