Eban Says Israel Demonstrating Its Independence of American Policy

Foreign Minister Abba Eban said in a taped interview broadcast by the armed forces radio tonight that Israel has demonstrated its independence of American policy, He said, of his recent visit to Washington, “We have succeeded in getting the United States used to the idea that Israel adopts a position of its own, even if it does not meet with the approval of the U.S.” The Foreign Minister conceded that there has been no basic change in U.S. policy on boundary issues since the Rogers Plan of Dec., 1969 which was unacceptable to Israel. He said it was hoped however, that the U.S. would continue to adhere to the position that there should be no imposed settlement in the Middle East. The State Broadcasting Service said tonight that Eban was not confronted with specific demands at his meetings last week with Secretary of State Rogers and Dr. Henry Kissinger, White House adviser on national security. The information was attributed to “observers” in Washington, apparently meaning Israeli diplomatic sources there. They said that Rogers and Kissinger asked only that Israel take a “positive step” and suggested that Israel state what it wants instead of what it doesn’t want. The same sources referred to a news media campaign to convince the American public that the U.S. was correct in pushing the Rogers plan. That campaign has been discontinued by the administration, the sources said.