Premier Menachem Begin of Israel and Sol Linowitz, the special United States Ambassador for Middle East negotiations, said in separate television interviews today that Egypt and Israel still have to agree on a definition of full autonomy for the Palestinian Arabs on the West Bank and Gaza Strip before an agreement can be reached by the May 26 target date.
Full autonomy “has never been defined,” Linowitz said in an interview on CBS-TV’s “Face the Nation” in which he was questioned on the meetings President Carter had with Begin at the White House last week and with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat the week before. He said all three countries were trying to “move closer to a mutual understanding of what autonomy means.”
Begin, who was interviewed by reporter Barbara Walters at Blair House in Washington before he left for Israel Thursday for airing on ABC-TV’s “Issues and Answers” today, noted that it was he who had first proposed “full autonomy” for the “Arabs living in Judaea, Samaria and Gaza.”
He said full autonomy meant to him that the Palestinian Arabs will elect on administration authority which would govern their daily lives. Linowitz appeared to have a similar definition when he said the U.S. wants the Palestinians “to have control over what is important in their lives.”
But, Begin charged that Sadat’s proposal for autonomy which would provide administrative, legislative and judicial authority for the administration authority would be a “Palestinian state” in everything but the name. He said Israel will never accept a Palestinian state which would put it in “mortal danger” from the Palestine Liberation Organization.
For the same reason, begin, said Israel must retain control over the security of the West Bank and Gaza once autonomy is established, although the military government will be removed. Begin added that it would be the “greatest folly” for the free world to support a Palestinian state since it would be a Soviet base.
The Israeli Premier refused to discuss any specifics of his talks with Carter in the television interview. Upon returning to Israel Friday, he declared he had not made any concessions.
BEGIN NOT ASKED FOR CONCESSIONS.
Linowitz said today that Begin had not been asked to make concessions, but both he and Sadat had been urged to “give and take” on the other’s views. “There was recognition on the part of each of the leaders that there has to be some flexibility,” he said.
Linowitz said that during the talks with Begin no one in the Carter Administration “suggested that Jerusalem should be divided.” He said the President again stressed that he believes in a united Jerusalem. But, Linowitz pointed out the discussion was over the Egyptian demand that East Jerusalem Arabs be allowed to vote for the administrative council that would govern the authority, which Israel rejects.
However, Linowitz said the question of Jerusalem has been put “aside” for now although he stressed, it was one that would have to be dealt with of “some point.”
When Linowitz was asked if the U.S. should put pressure on Israel because of the large amount of American financial aid going to that country, the envoy replied that neither Israel nor Egypt could be forced to do something they did not want to do. He said the U.S. as a “full partner” in the autonomy talks is trying “to help Israel and Egypt find a common ground” which is in “their best interest.”
However, Linowitz said he “deeply” hopes that the Israeli government would not start any new settlements on the West Bank before the May 26 target date. But Begin in his television interview said that to say Jews cannot settle in Hebron, for example, would be a “kind of racism.”
Linowitz rejected a suggestion that the “political turmoil” in Israel was being considered by the U.S. in its dealing with the Begin government. “We are dealing with the government of Prime Minister Begin” and will continue to work with him, he stressed. He said President Carter will be meeting with Israeli opposition leader Shimon Peres, chairman of the Labor Party, on Thursday, because he is an important person in Israel. He said this is “consistent” with past practices.
Upon his return to Israel Friday, Begin said his greatest achievement in Washington was the “wonderful show of support by American Jews.” Begin said in his meeting with some 1400 U.S. Jewish leaders Thursday he obtained support for a “common front” on the status of Jerusalem, security in the West Bank and Gaza, and the powers to be granted to on administrative council. “They are full united on this,” he said, “and I repeat that in my estimation this is the most important accomplishment of the visit.”
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.
