Premier Menachem Begin left for Washington today for crucial meetings with President Carter under the shadow of increasingly strained relations and mounting tensions between Israel and the U.S. and growing doubts here that his talks with the President will break the Israeli-Egyptian negotiations impasse.
In his departing statement, Begin took the occasion to differ openly with Carter’s suggestion that the issues blocking a peace treaty were of a minor nature. The current crisis is not over mere “legalisms,” the Premier said. The differences are between a “peace treaty and a non-peace treaty” he insisted, noting that one of the main points of contention, Article VI of the draft treaty, was “the heart of the treaty.”
Begin also went to great lengths to emphasize that he was not going to Washington to succumb to “pressures.” If there are “pressures,” he said, “I hope all Israeli citizens share with me the hope that I can stand up to those pressures.” At another point he said, “I am leaving without an umbrella and I will return without an umbrella,” a reference to charges by Likud hardliners likening his trip to Washington to Neville Chamberlain’s Munich excursion in 1938.
MOOD IS EMBITTERED
The mood was embittered before Begin left by reports that President Carter had warned. Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan last week in Washington that unless the treaty deadlock is broken within 10 days the U.S. would “reassess” its Mideast policy. Dayan, who saw Begin off at the airport, denied that any such “ultimatum” had been voiced to him by Carter. (The report was also denied by the White House in Washington.) But Dayan did not say that similar “warnings” were not expressed during his five-day ministerial level talks at Camp David last week.
Dayan told reporters that he shared the feeling of “urgency” in concluding negotiations with Egypt, especially in light of the worsening situation in the Middle East, notably in Iran. He expressed hope that Begin’s meeting with Carter would lead to a “clarification” of relations between Israel and the U.S. and subsequently to a successful conclusion of the peace negotiations.
Begin stressed before he left that he was going to meet Carter and “no other party.” He rejected any suggestion that the talks should be conducted under the pressure of a deadline. “Peace is not signed within a matter of days. It need be it will take more time,” he said.
Underlying the rancor that has developed between Jerusalem and Washington is the pervasive belief here that the U.S. has consistently supported the Egyptian position and new Egyptian demands. The resentment toward this perceived “tilt” by the U.S. is such that President Yitzhak Navon abandoned the neutral stance adopted by all past Presidents of Israel in political matters.
After a one hour briefing from Begin, Navon told reporters, “I hope the Premier will succeed in Washington in understanding the incomprehensible American position and find out just why the U.S. decided to endorse the new Egyptian hard line in the negotiations. ” He said Carter should summon Sadat to Washington “to explain the implications of his new hard line.”
Political analysts here believe Begin will adopt the same tone toward Carter. Some suggested that relations with the U.S. and personal relations between Begin and Carter are “on the verge of crisis.” Movies reported that Begin had asked Carter to postpone their meeting for one week but the, President refused. They are due to have their first meeting tonight at the White House.
BEGIN EMPOWERED TO MAKE SPOT DECISIONS
There were no indications that Begin was bringing any new proposals to Washington. It is understood, however, that he was empowered by the Cabinet to make his own decisions on the spot and, in fact, was given for greater room for maneuver than Dayan. If, contrary to expectations here, the Begin-Carter talks are successful it is expected that Sadat would join them in Washington. Observers said this should be determined by Saturday night or Sunday morning. If the talks fail, it is understood here that Begin will remain in the U.S. to try to rally American Jewry and others behind Israel and by implication, against the Carter Administration.
The Premier is accompanied on his trip by his personal aide, Yehiel Kadishai, Gen. Ephraim Poran, his military adjutant, Dan Pattir, communications advisor and Dr. Meir Rosenne, legal advisor to the Foreign Ministry. They will be joined by Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Ephraim Evron, and the Ambassador to the United Nations, Yehuda Blum.
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