Begin: Israel Ready to Go to Geneva As Early As Next October

Premier Menachem Begin said last night that Israel is ready to enter into peace talks with the Arabs at Geneva as early as October and would exclude no issue from the negotiating process. All sides to the talks can raise any subject they want to raise so long as no formulas are imposed from without, Begin told a closed session of the Jewish Agency Board of Governors meeting here.

Commenting on Monday’s State Department statement which said that Israel must withdraw from territories on all fronts to achieve a “true peace” in the Middle East, Begin reiterated that there was no position and no step which could not be negotiated freely. He said that when he goes to Washington next month he hoped to find a common language with President Carter. He expressed the hope that his meetings with Carter July 19-20 would be in preparation for genuine peace talks.

Meanwhile, observers here maintained that both the U.S. and Israel would attempt to soothe the sharp friction generated by the Washington statement and the official reaction in Jerusalem. Most Israeli newspapers, however, took seriously a report by CBS reporter Marvin Kalb to the effect that official U.S. sources said there would be no point to Begin’s coming to Washington unless he retreated from his position that the West Bank territories were part of Israel.

Although the State Department has categorically denied the report, Kalb is regarded here as a most reliable journalist and the belief is that he would not have reported what he did unless he had been informed by a very high source in Washington.

EFFORT TO AVOID FRICTION

The reactions here indicated how sensitive Israelis are to all reports and statements coming out of Washington. It was learned that Begin and Foreign Minister Moshe. Dayan spent hours yesterday consulting and scanning the State Department statement word-for-word before the Foreign Ministry released its official comment. The statement was considered unprecedented or at least exceedingly rare, since there have been very few past occasions where a U.S. State Department spokesman has read to the press a detailed and formal statement on a delicate phase of foreign policy.

Nevertheless, the mood in Jerusalem appears to be to avoid sharp reactions and comments which might further deteriorate the situation between Israel and the U.S. Israel and the U.S. Israelis are awaiting further comment from Begin who is expected to refer to the State Department statement when he addresses the Jewish Agency General Assembly here tomorrow night.

Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S., Simcha Dinitz, arrived from Washington today for consultations in connection with Begin’s visit to the U.S. Replying to reporters’ questions at Ben Gurion Airport, he said the situation could not be described as a deep confrontation with the U.S. but conceded that both the timing and content of the statement gave cause for concern. He said that while there is no confrontation, there are some basic elements over which Israel and the U.S. hold different points of view.

Meeting with Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan later today, Dinitz said he does not expect further deterioration in U.S.-Israel relations. He reportedly told Dayan that in spite of the Administration’s tendency to make official statements as the one made by the State Department Monday, he expects Begin will find upon his arrival in Washington “a comfortable atmosphere.”