Dayan Sees Progress in Mideast Moveswithin a Few Weeks; Discloses New Israeli Proposals Sent to Egyp

Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan, who returned from the U.S. this afternoon, said he believes there will be progress in political moves in the Middle East within a few weeks. He said the resumption of peace talks depended, however, on Cairo’s reaction to new Israeli proposals that are now being relayed to the Egyptian government. It was the first disclosure that new proposals have been made by Israel.

Dayan stressed that his meetings in Washington with Secretary of State Cyrus Vance last week had been very friendly and predicted that Premier Menachem Begin’s meetings there with President Carter and Vance today will be conducted in a good atmosphere. Begin arrived in New York yesterday and was briefed by Dayan before the Foreign Minister returned to Israel.

The Foreign Minister said that Israel’s proposals to Egypt related to the basis for a peace agreement rather than a declaration of principles “The present situation is such that we would like to reach an understanding with the Egyptians and the American mediators on the foundations of a peace settlement and not on drafting a declaration of principles,” Dayan said. “If we can reach an understanding on the foundations–I stress the foundations, not necessarily the details of a peace settlement–we can then add the declaration of principles.” He said Israel was prepared to discuss the West Bank issue with the Egyptians.

Dayan will report to Deputy Premier Yigael Yadin tomorrow on his Washington talks and Yadin will brief the Cabinet at its session next Sunday which will take place before Begin’s return. Dayan goes to London at the end of the week for Israeli 30th anniversary events.