Meir Rosenne, who in June will return to Israel after four years as Ambassador to the United States, maintained Monday that relations between Israel and the U.S. “have never been closer” despite the Pollard spy case.
The discovery that Jonathan Pollard, a civilian Navy intelligence analyst, was spying for Israel will not have a “long-lasting effect” on relations, Rosenne said in response to questions at a luncheon of the Overseas Writers, an organization of diplomatic reporters.
However, he stressed this will be so only if those involved in the espionage operation are uncovered and the U.S. is convinced that the operation was unauthorized.
Rosenne noted that 15 months ago, when Pollard was arrested, many were not convinced that it was unauthorized, but now everyone knows that “unauthorized operations may take place sometimes.” This was apparent reference to the Iran-Contra affair.
The Ambassador said that Israel’s cooperation with the U.S. in the Pollard case has been “unprecedented.” In discussing the close relations between the U.S. and Israel, Rosenne said it was a two-way street. He noted that while Israel receives a great deal of financial aid from the U.S. — $3 billion in grants for economic and military aid this year — the U.S. knows Israel is a reliable ally which has provided it with much technical information from captured Soviet equipment over the years.
AT the same time, “there can be no identity of views on foreign policy between Israel and the United States,” Rosenne stressed. He explained that the U.S. is a global power while Israel is a small country that since its existence has been surrounded by countries that want to destroy it as well as constant acts of terrorism against Israelis at home and abroad.
The envoy, who plans to return to Jerusalem for another post with the Foreign Ministry, also discussed the peace process, Soviet Jewry and relations with the USSR, South Africa and Israel’s relations with American Jews.
“We are very much interested to sign a peace treaty with all the Arab countries,” Rosenne said. “We are ready to start negotiations with any Arab country that is ready to do likewise.” He added that anytime Jordan is ready to negotiate, so is Israel “without any preconditions.”
ISSUE OF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
But when he was asked about Jordan’s demands for an international conference, Rosenne said he could not discuss this since the Israeli unity government is divided about this issue.
Asked about President Carter’s statement after his recent meeting with Syrian President Hafez Assad that Syria is ready to negotiate with Israel through an international conference, Rosenne pointed to the memoirs of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
He noted that Kissinger reported that he had a long discussion with Assad in 1974 in which they agreed about everything for a Geneva conference. But when Kissinger asked Assad what date he preferred, Assad said it did not matter since he would not attend.
Rosenne also reiterated the Israeli position that the Palestine Liberation Organization cannot participate in any peace negotiations.
ON THE CAMP DAVID ACCORDS
Asked for his personal views, Rosenne said the Camp David Accords, signed in 1978, “can be the basis” for advancing the peace process because it provides for negotiations between Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Palestinians to negotiate “the future status of the territories.”
He said if the accords had not been condemned by all the Arab countries the five-year autonomy period for the West Bank and Gaza would now be over, as well as the period, three-years after autonomy started in which the negotiations were to have begun.
Rosenne, who was Ambassador to France before coming to Washington, said part of the blame for this failure is due to the West European countries which condemned the Camp David Accords.
The Ambassador praised the U.S. for its efforts in the peace process but stressed that “the United States cannot replace any Arab state in the peace process.” He said “any attempt to replace the parties will be counterproductive.”
He noted that the major differences between Israel and the U.S. have arisen when there has been a peace proposal that did not include the Arabs as one of the negotiators.
Rosenne stressed that Israel wants the U.S. to have good relations with the Arab countries, but not to supply them with weapons. “Israel is opposed to any sale of weapons to any country that is in a state of war with Israel,” he said.
RELATIONS WITH THE SOVIET UNION
On Israel’s relations with the Soviet Union, Rosenne would only say that a Soviet delegation is expected in Israel soon and “we hope that an Israeli delegation will be able to go to the Soviet Union in the future.”
He said that it was still unclear whether there has been any change in Soviet emigration policies. He said there are 380,000 Jews, including 11,000 multiple refuseniks, who have applied to leave the USSR.
On South Africa, Rosenne stressed that Israel has always opposed apartheid. He said Israel accepted the 1977 UN Security Council resolution barring any arms sales to South Africa, but like other countries interpreted this to mean existing contracts would be honored.
He added that Israel has a special obligation to the 120,000 Jews in South Africa, who have always supported Israel. He noted that many South African Jews have been jailed in the struggle against apartheid.
Rosenne said that the “link” between Israel and Jews in the U.S. and elsewhere is firm. He said American Jews have a right to criticize Israel, but only Israel is responsible for its own security.
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.
