Dayan: No Partial Peace at Summit

Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan told the Foreign Ministry officials today that it is doubtful whether the idea of a “partial permanent peace settlement” will be discussed at the Camp David summit next week. He added that Israel does not plan to broach the subject, and that the Egyptians will certainly not bring the idea up.

Dayan called the forthcoming summit an “unprecedented meeting in terms of the challenges, ambitions and contents it contains. In the past year, we discussed partial agreements and principles. Now, at Camp David, we will be discussing a peace agreement for the first time.”

The Foreign Minister also noted that Israel plans to discuss the renewed Syrian aggression in Lebanon with the American delegation at the summit. “We have already conveyed our stand on the subject to the American government, and we will do this again at Camp David,” he said. Dayan declined to say whether the matter would be brought up with the Egyptian delegation to the summit, noting that the Egyptians are not directly affected by the Lebanese situation.

In addition to the humane dimension of the situation in Lebanon, Dayan said, there also exists the aspect of Israeli security, which he predicted would be affected by the Syrian conquest of northern Lebanon and the consequent Syrian entrance in the south, accompanied by Soviet advisors and anti-aircraft missiles. “This is the most serious problem for Israel,” the Foreign Minister noted.

Addressing the 320 members of the 1978 United Jewish Appeal Prime Minister’s Mission here last night, Dayan asserted that Israel does not plan any military action in Lebanon in the near future. He said that strenuous diplomatic efforts are now underway to achieve a ceasefire and the retention of the present status quo.