Snag in Peace Talks May Require New Summit Conference to Resolve It

The possibility developed today that a new summit conference may be required to resolve difficulties that have developed in the talks here between Israel and Egypt aimed at a peace treaty. President Carter gave a working lunch, which he attended, at Blair House for the Israeli and Egyptian delegations and the American group participating in the talks that began just one week ago on Oct. 12. It was his second personal intervention in the talks this week.

Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan, co-chairman of the Israeli negotiating team, was overheard by reporters remarking to Carter that the difficulties cannot be resolved at the ministerial level but require the intervention of the heads of state. Carter was heard to reply that was why he was at Blair House today to get the advice of the delegations. (See related story P. 3.)

Two problems have cropped up, dissipating the optimism expressed earlier that an Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty would be signed by the end of the week. What appears to be the more serious of the two is Egypt’s sudden insistence that the treaty terms provide for a review five years after enactment.

This came as a complete surprise to the Israelis who say no such provision was envisioned in the Camp David frameworks or in the Blair House talks until now. Israel is understood to be prepared to discuss any part of the treaty at any time but the treaty itself must be final and not subject to review, the Israelis say.

The second problem involves the timetable for establishing normal diplomatic relations between Israel and Egypt. The Egyptians want to do this gradually, on a stage-by-stage basis linked to the phases of Israel’s withdrawal from Sinai. The Israelis want to establish full diplomatic ties, including the exchange of ambassadors, upon completion of the first stage of the pull-back from Sinai, nine months after a treaty is signed.