Israel’s Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan ended his talks here tonight. Observers agreed that the differences of opinion between Bonn and Jerusalem are not resolved entirely but that they are by far not as dramatic as they appeared.
Dayan arrived here yesterday and had a first, unofficial round of talks with Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher and a visit to the Jewish community in Cologne. This morning, he and Genscher discussed the Middle East situation for three hours. Following that, there was a long meeting between Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and Israel’s Foreign Minister.
Genscher informed his colleague at length about Bonn’s diplomatic offensive in the Middle East, urging Arab unity as a prerequisite for further peace efforts to which the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty was only a first step toward a comprehensive peace.
Bonn diplomats stated that there was no expectation that agreement could be reached on all differences of opinion with Israel. But obviously, some progress was made. A communique issued after the three-hour talks said they had been good, worth while and very constructive. Both sides explained their position. Genscher assured Dayan that Bonn would support all efforts toward a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. It was stressed here that Genscher used the same arguments in his talks with Dayan that he used during his visits to seven Arab nations in the past few months.
GERMANY’S BALANCED MIDEAST POLICY QUESTIONED
Dayan expressed concern that Bonn has departed from its balanced Middle East policy and moved closer to the Arab side. There was–and still is–irritation in Israel over some of Genscher’s remarks, over the meeting between Social Democratic leader Willy Brandt with PLO leader Yasir Arafat in Vienna and a Beirut visit by the Liberal foreign policy spokesman Juergen Moellemann during which he talked to Arafat and other PLO. leaders.
In his talks with Schmidt, Dayan raised the question of the Chancellor’s postponed visit to Israel. Schmidt said earlier that it would only be useful if it was accepted as a contribution to secure peace in the Middle East. Observers here agreed that Dayan presented his government’s criticism in a diplomatic manner though in the tough style he is known for it was agreed however that he was not interested in worsening German-Israeli relations. As he said before the talks, West Germany is not pursuing a policy directed against Israel.
Genscher assured Dayan that Israel could rely on the Germans but added that unpleasant realities must also be discussed among friends. Sources here said Genscher pleaded for Palestinian self-determination and referred to European Economic Community criticism of the Israeli settlement policy and the military raids on southern Lebanon. Dayan will and his visit to Bann with a news conference tomorrow morning.
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