Allon: Israel is Prepared to Negotiate Peace Accord with Jordan

Israeli Foreign Minister Yigal Allon reaffirmed Israel’s position that she is ready to negotiate a peace agreement with Jordan, said he would refuse any settlement “that did not settle the Palestinian question” within the framework of peace with Jordan, and expressed caution about the amount of peace progress that can be expected by the end of the year. Allon, who is also Israel’s Deputy Premier, made these remarks to the Overseas Writers Club.

Addressing the Club Thursday afternoon Allon said it was too early in his visit to Washington and talks with U.S. officials to say what the next stop would be in efforts for a Mideast peace settlement. He said the next step would depend on the talks Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger plans to have this month with representatives of Egypt. Jordan and S Syria.

Allon, who arrived here last Sunday and began talks with officials, including Kissinger, Defense Secretary James R. Schlesinger, Treasury Secretary William Simon, and Vice-President Gerald Ford, was the first of Israel and Arab officials who will be visiting this capital in the next few weeks to discuss the next steps in Mideast peace. Jordanian Premier Zaid al-Rifai left Amman today for Washington where he is scheduled to meet with Kissinger and Schlesinger. Before leaving Amman, al-Rifai reportedly told newsmen at the airport that if there is no disengagement across the Jordan River “there will be no justification for our participation in the Geneva talks.

NO EARLY RESUMPTION OF GENEVA TALKS

In his address to the Overseas Writers Club, Allon discounted the early resumption of the Geneva talks and expressed the view that there would be little progress toward a settlement before the end of the year. He declined to discuss a date for the resumption of the talks. While the Foreign Minister said he could “envisage some progress toward the end of the year,” he also noted that “more than one round of consultation is needed in order to formulate the next step to decide” when Geneva should resume and in order to decide with whom. One of the main topics of Allon’s talks with Kissinger was the schedule for negotiations to follow up on the troop separation agreements the Secretary negotiated between Israel and Egypt and Syria.

Declaring he would refuse any settlement that did not settle the Palestinian question, Allon said Israel believes “and so do most of the Palestinians with whom we maintain contact, that the solution should be found within a framework of peace with Jordan by helping to establish a Jordan-Palestine state east of Israel’s boundary, a boundary which should be negotiated, while remembering that Jerusalem should remain a united city as the capital of Israel.” He added that he had not encountered any criticism in Washington of the Israel government’s position on the issue.

He also said any accord with Jordan would have to be ratified by a national referendum because of the sensitivity to the issue, a reference to the fact that a substantial body of opinion in Israel, particularly its Orthodox elements, oppose returning to Jordan of any part of the West Bank.

Allon met for 45 minutes Thursday with Ford, a meeting called a courtesy call by a spokesman for Ford. It was the first meeting between Allon and Ford. Allon praised President Nixon, Kissinger and the Congress for their active roles in Mideast peace efforts. Asked if he felt the impeachment proceedings were hurting such efforts, Allon said he was surprised that despite the impeachment pressures, the Nixon Administration had managed to conduct “a very imaginative” policy in the Middle East and other areas.

According to sources Allon said he was pleased with the warm reception accorded him by all the Administration and Congressional officials with whom he had met. Throughout his visit the Israeli leader stressed Israel’s willingness to move negotiations ahead. He said “further movement is needed for the sake of peace. The opportunity must not be missed. It must not be lost.”