Carter Restates U.S. Mideast Policy

President Carter reiterated last Friday night that he was “the one who set, the policy and that U.S. approval March 1 of the anti-Israel resolution in the United Nations Security Council was due to “on honest breakdown in communications between me and the United Nations.”

Responding to questions at a press conference, be also repeated his Administration’s opposition to Israeli settlements in occupied territories. He said that, during the negotiations at Camp David, between President Anwar Sad at of Egypt, Premier Menachem Begin of Israel and himself, We had agreed among us that we did not approve, as an American government, of the settlements on the West Bank and Gaza area; that they were on obstacle to peace.”

Carter added, however, that “we also had agreed that during the time of the negotiations we would not call for the dismantling of existing settlements. That was to be resolved as an issue in the ongoing negotiations.” The March 1 Security Council resolution contained a clause calling for dismantling of Israeli settlements. The President said “there is nothing specifically in the Camp David accords concerning the settlements themselves,” adding that there was “an agreement about settlements established in Sinai,” which Israel agreed to dismantle as part of the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty.

Reiterating also there had been no change in U.S. policy on the Middle East, Carter said “that policy is guided by Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338” and by “every word in the Camp David accords signed by me on behalf of our nation and by Begin and Sadat on behalf or Israel and Egypt. We intend to carry out that agreement.”

He also said that he believed that “we will have peace in the Middle East with a secure Israel behind recognized borders, with the Palestinian question being resolved in all its aspects and with peace between Israel and her neighbors.”

ISSUE OF THE UN VOTE

The issue of responsibility for the affirmative U.S. vote on the March 1 resolution was raised by one of the reporters who asked, “Are you the only one who can determine that it’s not the resolution you want?” The President also was asked whether it was “possible that some of your-foreign policy advisers are trying to make policy for you.”

Carter replied, “I don’t think anybody in my Administration doubts that I’m the one who sets the policy.” He noted that he, Begin and Sadat had agreed on “a paragraph in the Camp David accords concerning Jerusalem” which called for “an undivided Jerusalem.” The March 1 resolution referred repeatedly to “East Jerusalem” as port of the occupied Arab areas.

The President also stressed that there was nothing in the March 1 resolution “that established the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza areas. That will be established after a five-year interval period, during which full autonomy’s enjoyed by residents of the area.”

Accordingly, he said, the March 1 resolution was “in violation of my policy.” He added that he had “absolute confidence in Secretary (of State) Cyrus Vance,” adding that he had observed Vance negotiating “days and days and weeks” to achieve “the security of Israel and the peace of Israel. It was an honest breakdown in communications between me and the United Nations.” I’m responsible for anything that goes wrong in this government and I’m also responsible, on occasion, for things that go right.”

He said it was very difficult to say exactly” how the communications breakdown occurred but I made it known as quickly as I discovered it, that this resolution did violate policy and disavowed our vote for it.”