Allon Says Geneva Talks Might Resume This Year, if Only Briefly

Israeli Foreign Minister Yigal Allon said here today that the Geneva Middle East peace conference might reconvene this year, if only briefly and said he was “confident such a conference can make fresh progress toward peace in the area.” Allon also told a press conference that Israel has warned Syrian forces in Lebanon and the PLO not to persecute that country’s Christian minority.

“I have already expressed our views on this issue and take this opportunity to do so again,” he said, adding, “I don’t think I have to spell out our plans in advance and I hope words can be more effective than guns.”

Allon stopped off in Paris on his way home after attending a conference of Socialist party leaders in Amsterdam over the weekend. He met with French Foreign Minister Louis de Guiringaud and their discussions reportedly centered on recent developments in Africa, especially the invasion of Zaire by forces from neighboring Angola.

French sources said de Guiringaud agreed with Allon’s assessment that foreign intervention in Africa, such as the use of Cuban troops by Angola, endangered the peace of the continent and the world at large. The two ministers also discussed the situation in southern Lebanon. Allon stressed that Israel had no territorial ambitions in that area but would protect its security if threatened.

The French and Israeli Foreign Ministers have met several times in the last few weeks. De. Guiringaud visited Israel last month. But they used the occasion of Allon’s stopover in Paris to continue their consultations, probably as a sign of the trend toward normalization of Franco-Israeli relations.

Last night Allon dined with former French Premier Pierre Mendes-France at the home of the Israeli Ambassador Mordechai Gazit. They were reported to have reviewed the Middle East situation. Another reason for Allon’s visit to Paris was to promote his new book, “Israel: The Struggle For Hope.”