The Cabinet’s “doves” called on Premier Yitzhak Rabin today to tell President Ford that Israel wished to embark on overall peace negotiations with the Arab states. That was the essence of what was, in effect, a “minority report” by four Mapam and Independent Liberal Party ministers released this morning along with the Cabinet’s unanimous endorsement of the Premier’s policies and Israel’s present stance. The “doves'” platform stated that negotiations for an overall peace settlement could embrace “peace in stages” but must include a discussion of the final components of peace, security, mutual recognition and good, neighborly relations between Israel and the Arab states. It was signed by Victor Shemtov and Shlomo Rosen of Mapam and Moshe Kol and Gideon Hausner of the ILP.
The alternative report stated that Israel would not return to its pre-June 1967 borders but would prepare “peace maps” for presentation at the Geneva conference indicating what it regarded as secure and defensible future boundaries. It also called for recognition by Israel of “the existence of the Palestinian problem” and an undertaking to negotiate a solution of that problem “with Jordan and with the authorized representation of Palestinians who would recognize Israel and sign a peace treaty with her.” The “doves” urged expanded autonomy for West Bank residents. They stressed that Jerusalem must remain a united city and Israel’s capital but would accord municipal autonomy to the Arab sections of the city and “special status” for the holy places.
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