Begin is Not Expected to Present Any New Peace Plan to the U.s

Premier Menachem Begin will not present a new peace plan to the United States when he goes to Washington next week nor will he offer any modification of his original plan, political analysts said here today. They believe Begin’s intention is to convince the U.S. that Israel’s peace plan, as it stands, represents the best possible offer and that Israel’s interpretation of Security Council Resolution 242 does not rule out, a priori, any territorial compromises an the West Bank.

New differences between Israel and the U.S. over Resolution 242 surfaced recently. Washington has always supported Israel’s position that the resolution does not require total withdrawal from occupied Arab territories, as the Arabs say it does. The Begin government has contended of late, however, that 242 is not really applicable to the West Bank. The U.S. vehemently disagrees.

The task of Begin, who will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan and Defense Minister Ezer Weizman at his meetings with President Carter, is somehow to persuade the Administration that there is no contradiction between Israel’s offer of self-rule to the West Bank population and 242.

RATIONALE FOR WEST BANK PLAN

Accordingly, the Israelis are saying that since Jordan has not indicated a readiness for territorial compromise with Israel, the functional autonomy of self-rule offered the West Bank Arabs best answers the needs of all parties concerned. They say further that Jordan has no internationally recognized right to that territory which it occupied from 1948-1967, therefore 242 does not necessarily require Israeli withdrawal.

Government sources are also saying that since 242 is unspecific, Israel reserves the right to determine its positions on possible territorial compromise on the West Bank at such time as prospects appear ripe for negotiations over that territory, Dayan has said several times that any Arab suggestions for a territorial settlement on the West Bank would receive due consideration in Jerusalem. But Israel does not believe that Egypt can negotiate a West Bank settlement.

Israel clearly hopes that the U.S. will be convinced that the Begin government will not budge from its interpretation of 242 and that the Washington talks can be channeled to less controversial issues, such as resuming direct contacts with Egypt. Several senior Cabinet ministers have angrily attacked the Labor Alignment Leaders for saying that Begin’s interpretation of 242 is contrary to the interpretation given it by all previous Israeli governments. That, apparently, is also the view held by Washington.

MAST GENEROUS OFFER TO EGYPT

With respect to Sinal, political analysts say Begin will contend during his meetings in Washington, that his plan represents the most generous offer made to the Egyptians by any Israeli government. It represents a departure from the previous government’s position that Israel had to retain a land bridge from Eilat to Sharm el-Sheikh. The Begin plan would restore all of Sinai to Egyptian sovereignty, including the areas where Israeli settlements are located. The stumbling block has been Israel’s demand that it retain the right to protect those settlements with its own armed forces.

WILL DISCUSS ‘DELICATE PROBLEMS’

(Meanwhile, Weizman arrived in New York last night but declined to answer any substantive questions before his discussions with Carter and top Administration officials in Washington beginning tomorrow. During a press conference shortly after his arrival, Weizman described his visit to Washington as aimed at discussing “certain delicate problems.” He added: “There are some very important moves to be made and therefore I would say that I am hopeful that (the talks) will be productive and fruitful.” He will be in Washington until Friday and return to New York to await the arrival of Begin and Dayan next week and will then return with them to Washington.)