Israel reacted coolly today to the news that the United Nations’ special Middle East envoy. Dr. Gunnar V. Jarring, may try to reactivate his peace mission. Authoritative sources here stressed that Israel continues to insist that if Dr. Jarring does not disassociate himself from his aide-memoire of Feb. 8,1971, there can be no hope of progress. In that memorandum. Dr. Jarring demanded in effect that Israel commit itself to withdraw to the June 4. 1967, lines.
It was learned here that neither Israel nor the United States was consulted in advance before UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim made his announcement in Geneva yesterday that he was asking Dr. Jarring to return to New York.
(At the UN, US diplomats saw no reason to expect progress at this time, as neither Israel nor the Arab side has indicated a willingness to soften its stand. Speaking for himself, one US official suggested that Waldheim may have been influenced by Secretary of State William P. Rogers’ recent emphasis on progress in Vietnam, Korea, India-Pakistan and Germany. Thus, the American said, this could be the “perfect psychological moment” for a resumption of Dr. Jarring’s efforts.
(But other informed Western sources suggested that the two-week specification for Dr. Jarring’s stay indicated that no diplomatic break through was expected. Rather, these sources said, Waldheim’s reference to “consultations” may concern the Mideast report he must submit to the General Assembly in Sept.)
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
