Goren, Ford Meet for 20 Minutes; Chief Rabbi Says President Feels Egypt Will Not Go to War with Isra

Rabbi Shlomo Goren, the Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Israel, left today for Israel after a two-week visit to the United States and an unscheduled meeting with President Ford at the White House. In an address at Shumrai Emunan Synagogue in Silver Spring, Md., yesterday, Goren indicated that the Egyptian Israeli agreement in the Sinai was among the topics he discussed with Ford in their meeting last Thursday.

He said the President felt that Egypt would not go to war with Israel again because it would adversely affect the Egyptian economy and would result in the immediate closing of the Suez Canal Goren also indicated that Ford believed that Israelis should not feel concerned about the agreement because it will be successful.

The Chief Rabbi and Ford conferred for 20 minutes during a meeting arranged by the Israeli Embassy. Israeli Ambassador Simcha Dinitz and Gen. Brent Scowcroft. the President’s special assistant for security affairs, were also present. Topics included Jewish questions including the plight of Soviet and Syrian Jews.

Israeli sources described the meeting as extremely friendly and warm. The White House said the meeting was arranged after Goren asked to meet with Ford and that the visit was a courtesy call of a private and social nature.

In his sermon yesterday, Goren stressed that events affecting Israel cannot be Judged by day-to-day events but in the perspective of history. He said he saw the hand of God in Israel’s successes in war and in the development of the country.

Goren, who was the guest of Rabbi Gedaliah Anemer of Shomrai Emunah Synagogue, went after yesterday’s service to the home of Charles and Gitta Siegman where he attended a bris. He also addressed students of the Yeshiva High School in Silver Spring and the Hebrew Academy in Washington. During his two-week trip, Goren also visited New York, Boston and Toronto.