Britain Rebuked on Mideast Policy

The pro-Arab shift in Britain’s Middle East policy drew a sharp, if veiled, response today from Shlomo-Argov, the new Israel Ambassador. He spoke at a luncheon of the Conservative Friends of Israel, one of the fringe meetings at the annual conference of the Conservative Party here.

Referring to Britain’s reluctance to sell North Sea oil to Israel, he noted that because of the return of the Sinai oil fields to Egypt, Israel had sought oil elsewhere but had so far met with disappointing responses. Alluding to Britain’s sale of 200 Chieftain tanks to Jordan, he said that the Arab world bristled with ever more arms and threats. “There are no less than 5000 tanks on our eastern flank. Those are soon to be reinforced with 200 more of the finest tanks money can buy,” he said.

Argov did not refer to Britain’s call, together with other European Economic Community (EEC) members, that the Palestine Liberation Organization should be brought into Middle East negotiations. However, he mode clear Israel’s attitude towards the PLO when he urged Britain to ignore “the crowing and protestations of the rejectionists and the assassins.”

The rest of his speech was a defense of the peace treaty with Egypt and a rebuttal of claims that Israel was inflexible and disposed to give very little for peace. “That is unfair. It not only disregards the entire meaning and character of Israel, but also the substantial concessions and enormous risks we have recently undertaken in the pursuit of peace with Egypt, ” Argov said.

After enumerating what Israel had surrendered, he said Israel did not complain at the price “All we ask is that due note is taken of Israel’s contribution. ” Although the treaty with Egypt was not a comprehensive peace, it was the first and most important building block in the comprehensive peace which Israel sought, he said.