Foreign Minister Yigal Allon, in his first address during his current visit to the United States, told the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations today that Israel will reject any solution to the Middle East conflict imposed by “threats or pressure or reassessment.”
“We have had enough of it,” he said, citing the imposition of pressure on Israel to withdraw from territories in 1949 and 1956. “There will be no territorial withdrawals by Israel without a quid pro quo.” Allon told the Presidents Conference, adding that “we expect our friends in Washington–regardless of who is in the White House or who controls the Congress–to understand that any proportion to action the Arab-Israel conflict must be made by the parties themselves and not by any outside power.”
Allon also said the next two years could be “crucial” in the history of the Middle East. He added, “There will be no repetition of the Rogers plan or any other outside proposals to settle the Middle East problem.”
In response to a question on Israel’s relations with the United States, Allon said that “all American commitments to Israel made as a result of the separation of forces agreement with Egypt or any other commitments, are being honored by the Administration. We enjoy the friendship of both parties and we are pleased that a commitment to the defense of Israel has been a characteristic of American policy since Israel was created.”
DEFINES PURPOSE OF MAGAZINE ARTICLE
In responding to a question about his article in Foreign Affairs, Allon said his main purpose was to underscore “to our friends as well as to our foes”–the “importance of geography and topography to the defense of Israel.”
He said “the point was to stress that defensible borders are indispensable to Israel’s security even in an age of missiles and other revolutionary weapons. I also sought to make clear that whatever international guarantees are offered to Israel in any settlement plan, they cannot be a substitute for defensible borders but only an addition to them.”
Allon, who arrived here Monday to attend the 31st UN General Assembly session, held meetings today with diplomats from various countries attending the Assembly. Tonight he will attend a dinner in his honor given by Israeli Ambassador Chaim Herzog at his residence. Top UN officials and American media personalities are to attend. Tomorrow afternoon the Israeli UN delegation will leave the Assembly in observance of Rosh Hashanah.
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