Begin Accepts Reagan’s Statement That It Would Not Be Proper for Him to Meet with Premier Now

Israeli Premier Menachem Begin arrived here this morning prepared to meet with President Carter but not expecting a meeting with President-elect Ronald Reagan.

Before leaving Ben Gurion Airport last night Begin said he accepted Reagan’s statement at a press conference last week that it would not be proper for him to meet the Israeli Premier since Carter will still be President until Jan. 20.

Begin said that he hoped that Reagan would fulfill the promises an Israel he made during the campaign. Reagan’s statement that the Palestinian Liberation Organization is a terrorist group “is a good statement, ” he said.

The Israeli Premier said he would not know before he meets Carter Thursday whether there still would be a summit conference between Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and himself.

HOPES AUTONOMY TALKS WILL CONTINUE

On another issue, Begin was not critical of, the current visit to Cairo by leaders of the labor Party. (See separate story, P. 3.) He said that despite differing views on the solution to the Middle East conflict, their talks in Cairo would not harm the autonomy negotiations. He expressed the hope that the negotiations would continue, and that a meeting scheduled for next week would indeed take place.

Senior officials in Jerusalem expressed doubts over the weekend that the talks would take place on Nov. 17. as was agreed last month. An American delegation, headed by James Leonard, is presently in the area trying to work out a document that would summarize the autonomy principles — but it seems that a decision for a renewed effort to discuss the autonomy is unlikely to take place until after Begin’s meeting with Carter.