Cabinet Agrees to U.S. Moves to Test Arabs’ Willingness to Enter into an Agreement of Non-belligeren

The Cabinet agreed today to assent to American moves that would test the readiness of Israel’s Arab neighbors to enter into an agreement of non-belligerence with Israel. Such an agreement would be less than a formal peace settlement but would amount to a renunciation of the state of war. The decision, adopted unanimously after a lengthy debate at today’s Cabinet session, was said to apply to the three confrontation states bordering Israel–Egypt, Jordan and Syria.

The Cabinet took up the matter apparently in response to suggestions put to Rabin by the U.S. Administration during the Premier’s visit to Washington last month. Rabin reportedly told the Americans at the time that he could agree to an American probe of Egyptian and Syrian attitudes on a non-belligerency pact but needed Cabinet approval for similar approaches toward Jordan.

The Premier stressed that any settlement with Jordan involving territorial concessions by Israel would have to be approved in advance by a national referendum, possibly in the form of new elections.

The Cabinet was reported to have deliberately avoided discussion of any quid pro quo Israel would be prepared to offer the Arabs in exchange for non-belligerency. Israel’s public offer last spring to withdraw from the Mitle and Gidi passes and the Abu Rodeis oilfields in Sinai in exchange for an agreement of non-belligerency with Egypt is acknowledged to have been a political error. Israel has withdrawn from these positions under the interim accord with Egypt signed at Geneva last September, but has gotten nothing approaching non-belligerency from the Egyptians.

U.S. EFFORTS TO RECONVENE GENEVA

The American feelers will apparently be made simultaneously with efforts to reconvene the Geneva conference. Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger is said to believe that the usefulness of step-by-step diplomacy has ended but that a full-fledged peace settlement is not a practical expectation at this time. Israeli observers do not place much hope on Geneva at this stage because of Syrian insistence on PLO participation in the conference. Syria is supported in this by the Soviet Union, co-chairman with the U.S. of the Geneva conference.

Efforts to revive the Geneva conference are currently being promoted by UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim. Roberto Guyer, UN Undersecretary, is due in the Middle East tomorrow. He will meet with Foreign Minister Yigal Allon Tuesday morning. After visiting the various Middle East parties to the Geneva conference, he will go to Moscow to ascertain the Soviet view on the possible resumption of the parley.