Premier Menachem Begin said here today that the U.S. commitment to set up a multinational force to police the Sinai after Israel’s final withdrawal was “an integral part of the peace treaty.” This was his reply to reporters’ questions about whether Israel would refuse to withdraw, in April 1982, unless such a force was established in good time and to Israel’s satisfaction.
The Premier refused to amplify on the “integral part” formulation. He merely repeated it and said that an interpretation was unnecessary.
Asked about the “hypothetical” possibility that the autonomy negotiations would not have been resumed by the time Israel was required under the treaty to make its final withdraw! from Sinai, Begin replied: “I agree with you–that is a hypothetical possibility. Why should I talk about it?” He noted that he did not always decline to address himself to hypothetical possibilities. In this case, however, he chose to do so.
Begin’s remarks on the Sinai peacekeeping arrangements were seen as significant in view of
the fact that Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir is to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Alexander Haig in Washington next week–and the Sinai issue will top their agenda.
The Premier’s vague reply on the question of whether the autonomy talks situation would affect Israel’s commitment to withdraw in April 1982 also seemed important when set against the backdrop of chief autonomy negotiatior Yosef Burg’s tough statement earlier in the week decrying Egyptian foot-dragging over the talks.
Burg warned in that statement that Israel would have to “draw conclusions” if Egypt did not fulfill its explicit undertaking to negotiate “continuously and in good faith” so as to achieve the autonomy agreement “at the earliest possible date.” Israel, Burg noted, could not be expected to fulfill all of its commitments in the peace package while “other parties fulfill theirs only selectively.” Asked about this, Begin said he did not recall that Burg had made this remark.
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