President Carter said today that he hoped his meetings with Israeli Premier Menachem Begin here March 14-15 will lead to “some agreement” between Israel and Egypt, Jordan and “the Palestinian Arabs that live on the West Bank” that will be a prelude to ultimate resolution” of the Middle East conflict.
Carter spoke in response to a question during a nationally televised news conference at the National Press Club. He was asked what he hoped to accomplish in his third meeting with Begin in 10 months. In his reply, the President appeared to warn the Begin government not to “abandon” United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 which the U.S. considers applicable to the West Bank as well as to Sinai and the Golan Heights.
“Abandonment of 242 would put us back many months or years,” Carter said. He also expressed hope that Begin and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt will resume their personal negotiations with the U.S. as “intermediary.”
Carter noted that he communicated with Begin “frequently by letter, diplomatic messages and occasionally by phone.” He also observed that Israeli Defense Minister Ezer Weizman will be in Washington next week “to consult with me” and other U.S. officials.
LOOKING FOR SOME COMMON GROUND
The President said, “We are looking for some common ground” on which “Egypt, Jordan, Israel and the residents of the West Bank can agree. “He noted that Gaza “had an affiliation” with Egypt and the West Bank with Jordan and both are occupied by Israel.
“We ought to search out at the top level of government, some resolution of the differences of specifics relating to Sinai and also a statement of principles related to the occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” Carter said, “hoping at that time that Egypt and Jordan and the Palestinian Arabs that live on the West Bank will be satisfied to conclude, perhaps, some agreement and proceed with further negotiations later, leading to ultimate resolution of the issue based on UN 242.”
The President said that “one of the crucial elements of any progress in the Middle East is cleaving to the commitment that UN Resolution 242 is a basis to continue negotiations and resolution” of the problem. “Abandonment of 242 would put us back many months or years. So this is what I hope to accomplish with the Prime Minister–to frankly discuss with him my previous agreement and discussions with President Sadat to encourage direct negotiations to be resumed and to reach common ground based on advice given me” by Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and the special U.S. emissary in the Middle East, Assistant Secretary of Sate Alfred L. Atherton.
Carter added: “I believe personal discussion will be good. I would much prefer personal discussion be carried out between President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin. But in the absence of that possibility at this moment, we hope to restore it one act as intermediary.”
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.
