Premier Menachem Begin said yesterday that he was pleased by President Anwar Sadat’s solid commitment to the Comp David process, expressed in his speech to the Parliament of Europe in Luxembourg Tuesday. But he was less happy with Sadat’s support of Palestinian self-determination
Speaking to reporters, Begin noted with satisfaction that the Egyptian leader ignored the Palestine Liberation Organization in his speech and stressed to the Europeans that he had “not come to sell out Comp David.” That, said Begin, was a “positive pronouncement.” However, he recalled that at his summit meeting with Sadat in Ismailia in 1978, and later at Comp David, Israel flatly rejected Palestinian self-determination “because it means in plain terms a Palestinian state which would be a mortal danger to Israel.”
Begin appeared to be optimistic of getting the autonomy talks underway again. He said if the Egyptians are ready to resume the negotiations, significant progress could be made before the Knesset elections June 30. Israel has not been told explicitly by Sadat that he did not want to resume the talks at this time, Begin said, adding that Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir would be discussing that matter when he meets with Secretary of State Alexander Haig in Washington next week.
Asked about prospects of his meeting with President Reagan, Begin said that “depends on Reagan. If he invites me, I will go. “But, he added, he would not “invite myself, neither directly nor indirectly.” So far, no signals have emanated from Washington that Reagan was likely to extend an invitation at the present time.
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