Israel’s proposals for autonomy on the West Bank and Gaza Strip will be ready within six weeks and negotiations will then begin with Egypt, Premier Menachem Begin said in a Washington interview published in Yediot Achronot today. He told Yediot’s editor Noah Mozes that upon his return to Israel the 11-member ministerial committee that he appointed before he left for the U.S. would begin working out the details and principles of autonomy as Israel sees them.
“Within six weeks we shall be ready with our proposals and both teams–the Israelis and Egyptians–will meet alternately in El Arish and Beersheba to negotiate the autonomy agreement,” Begin said. He noted that under the peace treaty with Egypt signed Monday “we have one year to conclude these negotiations.”
Begin established the special committee to deal with autonomy, under his personal chairmanship, for both practical and political reasons. He proposed it at a Cabinet meeting on March 19 in part to avoid a protracted and bitter debate over autonomy that could have delayed Cabinet approval of the peace treaty and to mollify his coalition partner, the National Religious Party, which has grave reservations over autonomy.
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