Beigin Says Vietnam Events Prove His Contention About Guarantees

Likud leader Menachem Beigin referred to events in Vietnam here today to support his contention that international guarantees such as Israel has been asked to accept for territorial concessions were worthless scraps of paper. These are “sad days for every democratic country and every free man,” Beigin declared addressing a National Press Club luncheon. The international agreement by East and West and the great powers was turned into a “scrap of paper,” he said.

In his address and replies to questions which were frequently punctuated by applause from his audience of journalists, Beigin referred to the January 1973 Paris peace accords which, he said, guaranteed inalienable rights of self-determination supported by all countries.

“And now we see the facts–totalitarian Communism has been forced on millions of people by violations of that agreement and by war,” he noted adding that 11 countries had signed the Paris peace accords, but when asked for support to halt the hostilities, “no one said a word. This is the world we live in.”

Beigin said he continued to believe that the U.S. government and Congress will not pressure Israel to surrender to Egypt’s demands. He deplored the linkage of military supplies to political concessions and declared that under no circumstances should the U.S. stop shipping vital weapons to Israel.

PRE-1967 BORDERS ARE VULNERABLE

Beigin said that those who advised Israel to return to its pre-Six-Day War borders were not aware of the vulnerability of those borders. He invited the newsmen to visit Jerusalem where, from the Knesset windows, he said, they could see hills from which artillery once shelled Israel. “In one night they could destroy Israeli civilian centers with artillery,” Beigin said. He said Israel relied on the U.S. in light of the President’s statement of support for countries that help themselves. “We ask you to help us because we help ourselves,” Beigin said.

Beigin reiterated his five-point “peace-making process” which calls for “a complete truce for a period of time” during which Israel would conduct negotiations with its neighbors; “full cultural autonomy” for “the Arab minority” in Israel;” free option of citizenship” to all Arab residents of Israel; and “proper housing and permanent jobs” to solve the Arab refugee problem. Beigin will address students at UCLA and Los Angeles Valley College May 6.