Behind the Headlines Israel’s Image Greatly Improved As Mrs. Meir Arrives in Washington

Premier Golda Meir’s arrival here today for her long-scheduled round of talks with President Nixon and his advisors comes as Israel’s position shows perceptible improvement–psychologically, politically, and diplomatically–since it plummeted suddenly five days ago in the wreckage of the Libyan airliner. Diplomatic and political circles here are expressing the view that Premier Meir’s visit this week will take place in an atmosphere of friendship despite the tragic event of the downing of the Libyan airliner.

The tragic toll of 106 lives and the initial response of Israeli officials–that the responsibility for the crash of the airliner was solely that of the airline pilot, and Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan’s insistence that Israel would not indemnify the families of the victims–created the feeling among some Israelis here that Israel was only compounding the initial shock of having downed a civilian airliner.

Over the weekend, however, a number of developments took place in Israel that appeared to mollify international opinion and help present the Jewish State in a more humanitarian light: Dayan conceded that mistakes on both sides contributed to the tragedy, Army Chief of Staff David Elazar assumed full responsibility for the decision to bring down the airliner and said that “knowing then what we know now, we would not have given the order to force the plane down by use of fire,” and the Cabinet announced that Israel would pay cash sums to the families of the victims.

In addition, Joseph J. Sisco, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, affirmed that the international atmosphere has improved for further progress in establishing “a process of negotiation” in the Middle East despite the airline tragedy.

ISMAIL MADE FAVORABLE IMPRESSION

Israeli sources familiar with American public opinion warmly welcomed Elazar’s acknowledgement that Israel shares part of the blame for the airliner’s crash. They expressed the view that the change in the attitude in Jerusalem may dispel some of the clouds that seemed to hover over United States-Israel official relations last week. To contend that the airliner’s pilot was the only one culpable was described by one Israeli source as “the biggest mistake next to the shooting down of the plane itself.”

Israel’s immediate basic problem in the United States, it was freely admitted by Israeli circles here, was to reduce the negative aspects of the plane incident since Israel depends on the wide support it has enjoyed from American public opinion which is now considered to have been damaged.

Israeli sources also noted that the visit last Friday by Hafez Ismail, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s special emissary, made a tremendously favorable impression on American officials and on the American press by the manner in which he conducted himself here. One Western diplomat described Ismail’s approach as “very, very sophisticated.”

To the extent known at present, Ismail did not come with any drastic demands for change in U.S. policy. His purpose was a new kind of U.S.-Egyptian relationship without making any specific proposals for immediate considerations. In essence, an observer commented. Ismail was not presenting anything new to Washington but creating such expectations. “The Egyptians have learned,” he said, “the Nixon Administration’s way of thinking.”

Nevertheless, the one-day visit by Ismail has improved relations between the United States and Egypt. Ismail and a spokesman for the State Department confirmed the improvement of the relationship that had fallen to a point where Sadat said publicly he would have nothing to do with American government initiatives.

President Nixon, in welcoming Ismail to the White House Friday morning, set the stage for the improvement. “We are glad to talk with you,” the President told the Arab soldier-diplomat, because the United States wishes to move the “troubled and explosive” Middle East situation off “dead center.”

RELAXED RELATIONS BETWEEN U.S.-EGYPT

After lunching with Secretary of State William P. Rogers, Ismail told newsmen “progress” was attained between the two countries because “more relaxed relations” between Egypt and the U.S. resulted in the Washington talks. Ismail arrived here Thursday night from London on his travels to major European capitals in a diplomatic offensive by Sadat to bring pressure on Israel to withdraw from territories occupied in the Six-Day War.

In talking here with newsmen in the State Department after lunching with Rogers, Ismail refused to be drawn into subjects as whether the U.S. should pressure Israel or if the-U.S. proposed an interim agreement to reopen the Suez Canal. However, Ismail said that the U.S. is “a superpower responsible for international peace and security,” is “interested in promoting normal relations in the Middle East” and has “very strong traditional relations with the Middle East countries.”

Afterwards, State Department spokesman Charles Bray described the Egyptian’s visit as “significant” and referred to the emissary “as a man of stature in Egypt and the international community”–a tribute not customarily given by the Department in discussing visitors.

The discussion at the Department, Bray said, was “extensive and useful” and that “as a result, Secretary Rogers believes we have developed good rapport with Egypt.” Continuing, Bray said: “We both recognize that dramatic results were not to be expected as a result of today’s discussion. We look forward to continuation of discussions through diplomatic channels. Both governments have a clear idea of the others’ views with respect to the Middle East.”

ISRAEL SPARED PUBLIC CONDEMNATION

Diplomatic circles took note of the fact that against the backdrop of criticism unleashed by major press agencies against Israel for “murder,” the administration last Friday went far out to demonstrate its cordiality and warmth for Ismail. Honors ordinarily reserved for heads of state and Prime Ministers were extended to Ismail even though the United States and Egypt do not have diplomatic relations.

Not only was Ismail given more than an hour of the President’s time in his White House office at a time when the President is having his hands full with domestic and international economic crises not to mention the Indo-China problems, but Rogers hosted him to a lunch at the State Department and dinner at Blair House, a place reserved for the chiefs of state.

But if the administration showed extreme courtesy to Ismail, and to King Hussein of Jordan two weeks ago, in an effort to move towards what Nixon said in Ismail’s presence is his “major goal”–to get the major parties in the Middle East off “dead center”–the President has spared Israel from official and public condemnation for the airliner incident.

Observers have noted that while Rogers expressed sorrow and regret over the loss of life, he did not use a word of condemnatory language. The State Department even publicly rejected implications that the President’s condolences to the Presidents of Egypt and Libya constituted a rebuke against Israel.

In these circumstances, made more difficult for the administration by the airliner incident, for the time being, the President and his aides have skillfully embarked on a delicate undertaking of wooing the Arab leaders without driving Israel into isolation by suspicion that the United States is regaining the good graces of the Arabs at the expense of Israel.