Israeli Ambassador Simcha Dinitz said yesterday that the agreement between the Administration and Congress which is expected to lead to large numbers of Soviet Jews emigrating to Israel is of “revolutionary importance” if it is realized. The Israeli envoy to Washington spoke at an off-the-record meeting of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations presided over by Rabbi Israel Miller, Conference chairman.
Dinitz reportedly said that Soviet emigration is necessary for Israel’s survival since the Jewish State could not exist with only three million Jews. He had warm praise for Sens. Henry M. Jackson (D. Wash.), Jacob K. Javits (R.NY) and Abraham Ribicoff (R.Conn.) for their efforts in reaching the agreement. Dinitz also praised the Ford Administration.
According to sources. Dinitz also said that the U.S. agrees with Israel that the Palestine issue must be settled in the context of negotiations with Jordan and that a third state between Israel and Jordan would be harmful to the U.S., Israel and Jordan because it would fall under Soviet influence.
He said Israel wants to negotiate with Egypt next but the forthcoming Arab summit conference in Rabat will determine whether this is possible. In an apparent reference to the debate over Jewish settlement on the West Bank, Dinitz urged American Jewish organizations to be unified. He reportedly said the importance of unity among American Jews transcends any difference over particular issues.
MILLER DENIES PRESS REPORTS
Rabbi Miller issued a statement afterwards denying certain press reports of what Dinitz told the Presidents Conference at their closed briefing session about his meeting with Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger shortly before the latter’s departure for Moscow.
Rabbi Miller said. “Ambassador Dinitz at no point in his talk suggested that Israel would be prepared to accept or be satisfied with a de facto agreement on non-belligerency with Egypt.” He said that the Israeli envoy had in fact “reiterated and emphasized that the period of military arrangements was over and that any negotiations with Egypt must be based on a meaningful and substantive political return. The Ambassador did not go into any details with regard to possible future agreements and stressed that Secretary Kissinger did not bring with him any concrete Egyptian proposal. At the same time, he (Dinitz) said, Israel was not asked to detail her proposal or to draw lines or maps,” Rabbi Miller added.
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