Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan met with Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger for 55 minutes today at Kissinger’s invitation and told reporters afterwards that they had “quite a good meeting and the subject was the Middle East.”
Facing newsmen in the State Department lobby after leaving the Secretary’s office, Dayan flatly refused to make any other comment. He explained his unannounced and unexpected meeting with Kissinger by saying that the Secretary learned he was in the United States and “asked me to come over to talk about the Middle East situation.” Dayan is in this country on behalf of Israel Bonds.
Asked if Kissinger planned to return to the Middle East, Dayan said he would not respond to such questions. When reporters wanted to know if he thought the U.S. was applying heavy pressure on Israel to soften its negotiating position, Dayan replied, “If you had met me in Israel in my house I would say many things, but not now.”
He also refused to comment on suggestions that recent American setbacks in Indochina would effect the U.S. on Israel. He responded briefly to a question on the situation in Vietnam, saying, “America is stronger now that you are not there.”
On Tuesday, Rabbi Israel Miller, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, met with Kissinger in the Secretary’s office for a discussion of the current Mideast situation. Rabbi Miller will report on the content of his talk with Kissinger to the Presidents Conference immediately after the holidays.
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