Premier Menachem Begin disagrees with Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan over the nature of Israel’s replies to American questions about its peace plan. But the two men are expected to meet shortly in an attempt to resolve their differences before the Cabinet takes up the matter at its next session this Sunday, Maariv reported today.
The questions posed by the U.S. relate to Israel’s intentions on the West Bank after the five-year period of “self-rule” proposed in Begin’s peace plan and to the issue of political self-expression for the Palestinians. Begin is said to favor a generalized, non-committal reply whereas Dayan wants a specific statement. Dayan also is reported to favor a shift in Israel’s position toward a greater measure of linkage between the West Bank and Jordan. Begin objects on grounds that it would provoke unrest on the West Bank. The Cabinet debate was postponed last Sunday because the Premier was confined to bed with fever. He is still not fully recovered and is staying home on doctor’s orders.
Meanwhile, a new issue has arisen over an implied threat by President Anwar Sadat of Egypt to end his peace initiative next October unless there is some softening of Israel’s negotiating position. Sadat said at a Cairo news conference yesterday that he might not agree to continue the presence of the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) in Sinai after October. He contends that the UNEF mandate, established under the second Sinai interim agreement of September, 1975, expires in October. There has been no official Israeli response to Sadat’s remarks but circles here were quick to point out that there was no time limit put on the Sinai II agreement.
There was a secret paper at the time in which Sadat undertook to review the UNEF mandate “at least” twice. On that basis he can claim he is not obligated to renew it beyond October. But even without UNEF, the agreement itself remains in force until replaced by another agreement, the Israeli circles said. This means that the American-manned electronic surveillance and early warning devices would be kept in Sinai even in the absence of UNEF. Sadat’s remarks were seen here as a ploy aimed at greater U.S. pressure on Israel for concessions and a preparation for a way out of the peace initiative for Sadat.
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