Foreign Minister Yigal Allon told the Knesset today that the Cabinet “has not decided to hold interim talks with Syria and has not authorized anyone to promise that such talks will be held, just as it has not decided not to hold such talks.” Allon made this deliberately open-ended statement replying to a Likud motion on the subject of possible future talks with Syria. Likud had demanded a special Knesset session to debate this subject.
Allon’s statement today went slightly, but significantly further than a Cabinet statement published last week which merely said that there was no decision by the Cabinet on interim talks with Syria. The implication of that, too, was that just as there was no decision to hold such talks, there was no decision not to hold them–and therefore, the prospect of such talks must be considered open. But this time, Allon, speaking for the government, spelled out this implied corollary.
Allon stressed, however, that the issue of Golan negotiations was as yet “an unlaid egg.” There was no reason, therefore, to begin arguments within Israel “prematurely over negotiations which have not yet been decided upon.”
The time was not right for official statements, whether hardline or conciliatory, Allon continued, Neither type could help the situation. Soft statements would invite pressures, and hardline statements “only make matters more difficult for those for whom we do not want to make things difficult at this time,” Allon said, plainly referring to Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.
NEGOTIATIONS WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS
The Foreign Minister stressed that Israel had decided on several occasions in the past-and its decision was still valid today-that it favors “negotiations without preconditions with each Arab state, including Syria, for full peace agreements. Israel has a vital interest in moving towards peace,” he continued, “If the agreement with Egypt, and the method and spirit of its implementation, create suitable conditions for further progress with any Arab country, we will not miss any such opportunity….”
The Likud motion to debate the question of possible talks with Syria was rejected by a vote of 60-25 with all the left-wing parties Joining with the coalition. Rakah and Agudat Israel abstained. Two National Religious Party “Young Guard” members were present but did not vote.
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