Premier Menachem Begin and President Anwar Sadat decided to add a third meeting to their summit agenda here which had originally called for two. It will be held tomorrow and is expected to be followed by a joint press conference before Begin departs for Israel.
The two leaders met yesterday at Begin’s hotel for a review of the outstanding bilateral issues between Israel and Egypt — normalization of relations and the autonomy negotiations. On both of these they apparently ran into disagreement.
But, as sources on both sides indicated even before the summit began, they are studiously avoiding a head on confrontation at this time and will resort, as they have in the past, to the principle of agreeing to disagree without ruffling the amity that has been established between them.
No one will predict what, if any, substantive progress will emerge from this, their ninth meeting since Sadat launched his peace initiative in 1977. It appears, from developments so far, that there will neither be a dramatic breakthrough nor a sudden breakdown in their talks. Acting Foreign Minister Butros Ghali told this reporter yesterday that the summit meeting was intended primarily to “keep up the momentum” of the autonomy talks which have made little discernable progress since they began last spring.
Begin took a day off today for sight seeing in Luxor. He and Sadat met for two hours yesterday. Begin’s main purpose, it appears, was to enlist Sadat’s active association in the normalization process which while on schedule, has been kept at a low key by the Egyptians.
DISPUTE OVER KEY PROVISIONS
In the course of their meeting, Begin sent for a copy of the third annex of the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, the protocol dealing with normalization. He and Sadat held their discussions in the hotel patio. Reporters, watching through the glass doors, could not hear what was being said. But they saw Begin poring over the document with Sadat and gesticulating forcefully.
Sadat is understood to have reiterated Egypt’s commitment to fulfill every provision of the third annex. But there appeared to be some dispute over the interpretation of key provisions. The Egyptians are known to object to Israeli motor vehicles entering Egypt even after normalization is officially established on Jan. 26.
The annex provides, however, that “the parties will reopen and maintain roods and railways between their countries and will consider further rood and rail links.” The first part of yesterday’s meeting was devoted to regional strategic issues. Sadat pointed to areas of potential and actual conflict on a large colored map while Begin nodded grimly.
Before the meeting began, the Israeli Premier was introduced to Sood Mortoda, the 56-year-old career diplomat who has been designated Egypt’s first Ambassador to Israel. He had been summoned by Sadat from Cairo. Israeli sources saw in his absence when the summit began further evidence of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry’s calculated “low profile” as the time for establishing formal diplomatic relations with Israel approaches.
Mortoda appears to have made a warm and favorable impression on Begin’s retinue. Sources close to the Premier took issue with Israeli commentators who had portrayed Mortada as less than a top rank diplomat. They pointed out that his previous assignment had been Ambassador to Morocco which, in Egyptian terms, was a fairly senior diplomatic past.
Yesterday, Begin invited Sadat’s advisor — and relative by marriage — Sayeed Marei, the former Speaker of the People’s Assembly, to visit Israel as his personal guest. Marei promptly accepted, much to Sadat’s delight.
SADAT EXPECTED TO PRESS FOR GOODWILL GESTURES
During the final meeting tomorrow at Sadat’s residence in Aswan, before both Begin and Sadat face the world media at an airport press conference. Sadat is expected to press begin for at least some gestures of good will towards the Palestinians that Egypt has been urging ever since the Camp David accords were signed. These include release of detainee, removal of army headquarters from the Arab cities and repatriation of expellees.
The Egyptians believe these gestures are the absolute minimum needed to induce moderate Palestinians to join the autonomy scheme. They regard Israeli responses so far as so scanty as to actually fan rejectionism.
Begin for his part is expected to take exception to hardline statements made here this week by Ghali who predicted grim consequences if the autonomy target date of May 26 passes without agreement. The thrust of Begin’s demands is expected to be the need for a more steady progress in the process of normalization. Begin and his aides still feel that the Egyptians–and particularly Ghali and his Foreign Ministry — are guilty of deliberate obstructionism in their approach to normalization.
The Israelis reject Egyptian explanations that recent delays in implementing normalization plans have been due solely to objective difficulties. In view of these differences, Begin and Sodar will find it hard to present, once again, the appearance of progress when they meet the press. Nevertheless, they are likely to make a great effort to do so. Concurring statements on the regional strategic issues will go some way to create a facade of unanimity.
Begin will no doubt welcome the news of close U.S.-Egyptian military cooperation — though there is some doubt as to what extent Israel was made privy to it in advance. Tonight the Israeli Premier consulted with the U.S. Ambassador to Cairo, longtime Mideast peacemaker, Roy Atherton.
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