Israeli Deputy Premier Yigal Allon, who has written that “defensible borders without peace are preferable to peace without defensible borders,” ended his latest visit to the United States by contending today that “a prolonged cease-fire may lead to some diplomatic movement more than a state of active belligerency.” He gave two reasons for this: “First, people get used to the pleasure of cease-fire. Second, a prolonged cease-fire has its own dynamics for de-escalation.”
At a briefing for selected newsmen, Allon said the 21-month duration of the Suez Canal ceasefire was “impressive proof” that Israel’s policy was “the correct one.” He explained that “many lives have been saved on both sides of the ceasefire line and the political relations between Israel and the United States have improved even more. improved Israel’s public relations in the world, and above all Israel’s military posture has been strengthened.”
But while praising the close ties between Israel and the US, Allon said “I don’t exclude the possibility” that a “misinterpretation” on territorial points could arise–“although on this trip I didn’t have to confront any arguments.” He also did not “exclude the possibility” that some organ of the United Nations would renew the call for Arab-Israeli negotiations. He did not specify which UN unit that might be, but neither did he mention the official intermediary, Dr. Gunnar V. Jarring.
Allon refrained from specific comment on President Nixon’s decision to mine North Vietnamese harbors. He referred to “the importance of American credibility in the world arena if stability is to be preserved in the rest of the world.”
ISRAELI EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM PRESENTED
The Deputy Premier, who is also Minister of Education and Culture, said his talks with government officials and Jewish leaders on US-Israeli educational ties were “most stimulating…very encouraging” and gave him “a good chance to present the Israeli system” and to “make headway in the right direction.” This includes the development of Israeli “comprehensive schools,” the initiation of “incentives” to increase the Israeli teacher corps, “a more regular and more systematic pre-kindergarten system,” the launching–with the Jewish Agency–of a volunteer teacher “reserve corps” to work in the diaspora, and a pedagogical institute to “serve as a turning point in speeding up and improving” Israeli education.
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