Kissinger Reportedly Annoyed at the Way Israel Has Handled Reports of the U.S. End-of-war Initiative

Premier Yitzhak Rabin told the Cabinet yesterday that Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger had been very much annoyed that reports of the U.S. end-of-war initiative appeared in the Israeli press and was critical of the Israeli government’s handling to the issue because premature publicity and public discussion could prejudice the chances of success.

Rabin’s disclosure was the latest development in the increasingly controversial Cabinet decision of Feb. 22 to assent to attempts by the U.S. to explore the attitudes of Egypt. Syria and Jordan toward a condition of non-belligerence with Israel. Because of mounting criticism, the Cabinet decided yesterday to publish the text of the statement it had approved a week ago in which the ministers “took note” of Rabin’s intention to signal the U.S. to proceed with the initiative, but only after both countries reach agreement on a definition of non-belligerence.

The Cabinet’s statement was adopted without a vote and that fact led to a heated dispute between some ministers yesterday as to whether it constituted a binding decision of the government. Police Minister Shlomo Hillel and Welfare Minister Zevulun Hammer contended that the statement was not a decision because the Cabinet itself had not yet agreed to the meaning of non-belligerence. They said that if they had thought the statement represented a binding decision they would have demanded a ballot and voted against it.

Cabinet “doves” insisted, on the other hand, that the statement was tantamount to Cabinet approval of the U.S. initiative and claimed that if it was brought to a vote it would have been adopted by a handsome majority.

ELEMENTS OF CABINET STATEMENT

The statement published at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting affirmed that if and when the time arrived for substantive negotiations, the Cabinet would be called on to make “operative decisions” with regard to each of the three neighboring states individually. Only then would the Cabinet consider in detail any concessions that Israel was prepared to offer for an end-of-war or non-belligerence pact. The statement reiterated Israel’s call for reconvening the Geneva conference on the basis of the original invitations from the UN and with the participation of the original parties only.

However, it added, “Pursuant to its readiness for peace negotiations, and pursuant to its previous resolutions, the government is prepared for an examination of the possibility of end-of-war talks through the good offices of the U.S….It is vital that the meaning of ‘end-of-war’ be agreed upon first between Israel and the U.S. …..” Rabin informed the Cabinet that a team of jurists was at work under the direction of Attorney General Aharon Barak to formulate Israel’s interpretation of an end-of-war agreement.

Meanwhile, Maariv reported today that Kissinger has asked Foreign Minister Yigal Allon to stop over in Washington on the return from his current visit to Mexico and three Central American countries to examine the chances of resuming the Geneva conference. According to Maariv Kissinger has serious doubts that the non-belligerency initiative can succeed because of the premature publicity. Allon is expected to meet with Kissinger in Washington next week.