Israeli Premier Menachem Begin declared today that Israel could never “descend” from the Golan Heights. But he would not comment on whether his government will support a bill now in the Knesset to annex the Golan Heights.
Answering questions on NBC-TV’s “Meet the Press, ” Begin also said that a Jordanian-Palestinian state proposed by the opposition Labor Party as a solution for the West Bank would be just as dangerous to Israel as a separate Palestinian state. It would be the “same danger” the Premier stressed, because Yasir Arafat, head of the Palestine Liberation Organization “would be invited” into that state’s government and it would soon be a PLO-dominated country. Begin stressed that a Palestinian state would be a “mortal danger” to Israel as well as a Soviet base threatening the West.
“The Arab nation has 21 sovereign states,” Begin said, “we have one little state. It should not be imperilled.”
NON-COMMITTAL ON REAGAN ADMINISTRATION
The Premier refused to say whether his government would back the bill to annex the Golan because, he said, the Cabinet has not discussed the issue yet. Nor would he say whether his comment that Israel will never “descend” from the Golan because of the danger it would present to Israel meant Israel plans to continue occupying all the Golan it now holds.
Begin was also not specific on his attitude toward the incoming Administration of President elect Ronald Reagan. He said Reagan’s press conference statement following his election in which he again labelled the PLO as a “terrorist” organization was “a good sign” for Israel and other foreign countries that the new President intended to keep his campaign promises. The Premier said he was also pleased that Reagan supports a united Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty. He said that the “Vaticanization” plan suggested by Reagan for Jerusalem during the campaign “does not apply to Jerusalem” and he hope to convince the new President of that when he meets him.
Begin said that “President Carter did his best” to continue the autonomy negotiations for the West Bank and Gaza Strip and noted that new autonomy talks were scheduled soon. Begin said autonomy will enable Israel to “live together with our Arab neighbors in peace.” He said the eventual agreement must allow the Arabs on the West Bank and Gaza Strip to govern their own daily lives while providing security for Israel.
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