Carter’s Mideast Envoy Stresses ‘political Sensitivity’ by All Parties in Autonomy Talks

Ambassador Robert Strauss, addressing his first Jewish audience since his appointment as President Carter’s Chief negotiator in the Israeli-Egyptian peace process, cautioned tonight that “for this peace treaty to develop into a true peace during this critical year, there must be extraordinary mutual political sensitivity to the problems of others.” Strauss, who expects to go to the Middle East July.1, addressed the Scopus Awards Dinner of the American Friends of the Hebrew University in New York. The text of his speech was made available to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency by his office here.

The American envoy stressed that “For this peace to become real peace, all sides must refrain from provocations and actions that those not committed to peace can manipulate to undermine the foundation of peace that we have already built.”

Strauss, the recipient of tonight’s Scopus Award, outlined his personal approaches to the negotiations. “Everything that has come before in my personal and professional life serves as a mere prelude, an overture, to this ultimate test of my talents, “he said. Saying he was aware of the issues, the emotions, complexities and international ramifications, Strauss asserted, “I am also aware that we cannot afford to fail.” He said that President Carter “knows and I know that this chance for the nations of the Middle East may not come again in out lifetime and thus we must seize the day and seize the opportunity.

For this treaty to develop and bloom, there must be a spirit of compromise by all sides,” he said.

WILL NOT ADVOCATE ONE POSITION OVER ANOTHER

Strauss warned against public relations tactics. “This arduous process of negotiations can not be successfully implemented in a public process,” he said. “The issues will not be solved by public posturing to the Washington Past, the New York Times. Al Ahram or Maariv. Issues will be negotiated at the peace table, not at the newspaper typesetting table.”

He told his audience “I am not and do not intend to become an advocate of any one position against another. It is not my style to reassure–it is my style to influence,” not to “threaten or to use leverage. I have no partisan bias.” He added: “My only bias is toward peace…. My true reward will not be in the form of a statue or a plaque or a scholarship. My true reward will come through helping by discharging the responsibility placed in my hands by a great, strong and compassionate American President, Jimmy Carter, whose personal and Presidential commitment is to insure that our people will achieve in this decade what has so long eluded us, and to ensure that our children will celebrate the anniversary of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty on March 26, 1979 as a holy day, that very special day different from all others, a day of peace.” Strauss said.