Israeli officials said today that they were not opposed to a Big Power guarantee of a future peace settlement between Israel and its Arab neighbors but insisted that it follow the establishment of a peace treaty and not be a substitute for one. The idea of Four Power guarantees has been advanced by Egypt and is supported by France. An Israeli spokesman said that in Israel’s view, Peace-making activities must center on United Nations mediator, Dr. Gunnar V. Jarring, not on the Big Four. He said that “guarantees are no substitute for a peace treaty including agreed borders which are final, secure, and recognized.” He said that once this is achieved “we can consider the possibility of great power guarantees.” The official maintained that this represented no departure by Israel from past policies. (Premier Golda Meir characterized as “nonsense” Egypt’s demand for an Israeli withdrawal time table as the condition for extending the current cease-fire beyond its Feb. 5 expiration deadline. She made that remark last Thursday night in the first part of a two-part interview with Walter Cronkite on CBS Radio Network. She also rejected the idea of a UN peace-keeping force as “guardians of peace” in the Middle East. “We’ve had that before and had three wars. Not one of them was prevented by UN personnel in the area,” Mrs. Meir said.) Herut leader. Menachem Beigin, in a speech prepared for delivery tonight at Tel Aviv University, claims that it was clear from the onset of the Jarring talks that Israel’s agreement in principle to withdraw from occupied territories has not advanced peace prospects “by one iota.” According to Beigin, whose Gahal faction walked out of the government last summer because of its acceptance of the cease-fire and the Jarring talks, the negotiations only invited pressure for further retreats. He urges a “national policy” based on Israel’s “right to the land of Israel… (which has) been reunited and shall never be torn asunder”
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