Begin, Ministers Hold Consultations As Israeli Team Goes to Cairo

As the Israeli negotiation team left for Cairo this morning informal consultations were held under a tight veil of secrecy here between Premier Menachem Begin and his senior ministers. Very little “leaked” from those proceedings but the general atmosphere was optimistic and there was a strong feeling in the capital that the Cairo talks would advance rapidly toward an Egyptian-Israeli understanding if not a formal agreement.

That feeling was substantiated by the comments of U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan before Vance’s departure for Jordan prospects for a breakthrough in the Middle East conflict.

It is assumed here that Israel will be expected to make substantive proposals at Cairo in the near future and this will require rapid decision-making on the part of Begin and his government. The Egyptians are expected to press foran agreement on the future of the West Bank and top level dicussions here will have to deal with that thorny issue. The government will be in constant contract with the Israeli negotiators in Cairo.

A rear headquarters has been set up at the Foreign Ministry under the supervision of its director general Ephraim Evron. It will receive the flow of imformation from Cairo which will be evaluated at daily meetings between Begin, Dayan, Defense Minister Ezer Weizman and Deputy Premier Yigael Yadin.

POTANTIAL SOLUTIONS ON THREE FRONTS

Haaretz reported today that the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry have each prepared blueprints for grangting a certain degree of autonomy to the West Bank. But this does not include any form of self-government which could be a prelude to an independent Palestinian state, Haaretz said.

A Defense Ministry “think tank” which has been functioning for the past few weeks was reported to have finished its work just before the Israeli delegation left for Cairo. According to sources, it has drafted potential solutions to the problem on all three fronts–the West Bank, Sinai and the Golan Heights. There was no reliable information available as to the nature of its formulations.

Begin said yesterday that an agreement was reached between Israel, Egypt and the United States on the Cairo agenda. He said the agenda deals with the contents of a peace settlement and expressed hope that Israel and Egypt would be able to reach an agreement in which the other Arab countries would join later.

Begin made his remarks after the weekly Cabinet meeting held in Jerusalem yesterday. Thye meeting was postponed from Sunday because of the visit of Vance. The Cabinet heard a report on the talks with Vance which included a discussion of the Cairo agenda.

Simcha Dinitz, Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S., briefed the ministers on the American involvement in current Middle East developments. The Cabinet praised the role of the American Administration, especially President Carter. Some ministers who had expressed doubt over recent events, said that they felt more optimistic about a possible solution of the Middle East conflict.

It appeared likely yesterday that Gen. Ensio Siilasvuo, commander of United Nations peace-keeping forces in the region, may chair the opening session of the Cairo talks. The Finnish general was designated by Secretary General Kurt Waldheim to represent the UN at Cairo. He met with Begin yesterday to discuss the possibility of presiding at the opening session. His name was proposed after the U.S. seemed less than enthusiastic over an Israeli suggestion that Assistant Secretary of State Alfred L. Atherton, the U.S. representative to the Cairo conference, serve as chairman. Siilasvuo left today for Cairo.

(Meanwhile, at the UN today, Woldheim’s spokesman said that the Secretary General has turned down an Egyptian proposal that Siilasvuo would preside over the Cairo conference. The spokesman added that Siilasvuo would attend the conference only as an observer to keep Woldheim informed on the conference proceedings.)