African States’ Resolution Calls for Israel in Return to Talks Within Two Months

Egypt and a group of African states appeared today to be dove-tailing efforts to force Israel back into the Jarring talks regardless of the continuing impasse over Egyptian truce violations in the cease-fire zone. Acting on Egypt’s request, the African nations have drawn up a resolution that would give Israel two months to resume indirect talks with the Arabs under the aegis of UN mediator Gunnar V. Jarring. One source here told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the draft resolution contains no threat of sanctions or censure if Israel does not comply within the stated period. But it does call for a report to the General Assembly when the two months expire which could set the stage for further action. Apparently coordinated with the emergence of the African resolution was a report in Cairo’s semi-official newspaper Al Ahram yesterday that Egypt was ready to extend the current 90-day cease-fire for two more months, probably calculated from its expiration date of Nov. 5. The Al Ahram dispatch said Egypt considered it “imperative” to get the Jarring talks moving and the extended cease-fire was apparently being offered to improve chances for the talks to be resumed. Egypt made a formal offer earlier to extend the cease-fire, but only on condition that Israel return to the Jarring talks first. Israel insists that it will return only after Egyptian truce violations in the Suez Canal zone are corrected.

The African resolution which has yet to be formally introduced to the General Assembly, came as something of a surprise. The Egyptians were expected to push for a broader resolution redefining the terms of the Security Council’s Resolution 242 of Nov. 22, 1967 in ways that would make it unacceptable to Israel and the United States. The Arab bloc, particularly Egypt, has always enjoyed close political support of several African states. In this instance, the African states appeared to be adopting the role of a “buffer” between the two power blocs–the U.S. and Israel on one side and Egypt and its Soviet backers on the other. (The first reaction from Jerusalem on the African resolution was a sharp negative. An Israeli official called the proposal “obviously Arab inspired” and said it “must be rejected out of hand.”) There was no immediate comment from the Israeli delegation here headed by Foreign Minister Abba Eban. But one Israeli source here said the African authors of the resolution should try to get the Russians to remove their missiles from the truce zone “instead of always pointing the finger of blame on us.” The African resolution reportedly accuses Israel of obstructing the Jarring talks and condemns the acquisition and retention of territory by force.