The Egyptian government insists that Syria’s participation in the Geneva conference and Egypt’s resumption of formal diplomatic relations with the United States depend on fulfillment of the hopes for disengagement of the military forces along the Suez Canal as asserted yesterday by Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger following his two days of talks with Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan. This was plainly indicated today by the Egyptian Ambassador-designate to the United States, Dr. Ashraf Ghorbal, on the CBS program “Face the Nation” with reporters Marvin Kalb, George Herman and Joseph Kraft.
Dr. Ghorbal and Hermann Eilts were designated as the Egyptian and American ambassadors with much fanfare in Washington two months ago but neither has yet been formally accredited. The U.S. is eager to resume full diplomatic relations but President Anwar Sadat indicated when the ambassadorial announcement was made that U.S. pressure on Israel to withdraw at least to some extent from Sinai was the price for such recognition.
Syria will enter the Geneva talks when Israel fulfills the six-part cease-fire agreement of last October, Dr. Ghorbal said. This, he implied, includes the separation of the forces on the canal. He insisted several times that the Palestinians must participate in the Geneva conference or else the clock will be turned back 25 years. He did not specify which elements among the Palestinians should participate.
In semi-private discussions here, Dr. Ghorbal is known to have said that the Arab governments will meet in Cairo at the end of this month to decide which Palestinians will participate in Geneva.
Dr. Ghorbal refused to discuss “specifics” of what Israel must do towards a full peace situation in the Middle East. However, he said that disengagement along the Suez cannot mean establishment of another cease-fire line and the “freezing” of the political situation. By implication he indicated Israel must withdraw completely from all territories that it did not occupy prior to June 5, 1967. He said that Egypt was waiting for the Kissinger “hopes to be translated into reality.”
The lifting of the Arab oil embargo. Dr. Ghorbal indicated, would not necessarily wait for Israel’s full withdrawal to the pre-Six-Day War boundaries, saying that this “implication could be stretching it a little.” But he indicated that more than disengagement on the Suez would bring the embargo’s end.
Pressed on whether Egypt would exchange. ambassadors with Israel, Dr. Ghorbal said “that was a psychological matter.” He did say that “We are dealing with the sovereign state of Israel,” but he observed that Israel is under “obligation” to deal with the “Palestinians” right to return or compensation.” He evaded a direct question on establishment of a Palestinian state, saying the Palestinians are “masters of their destiny.” (By Joseph Polakoff)
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.
