Israel’s Foreign Minister Abba Eban listed three phases which he said could lead to peace between his country and the Arab states. These were strict application of the 1967 cease-fire agreements, opening negotiations and finally, signing a peace treaty. Appearing on a question-and-answer program broadcast from Jerusalem last night by Radio Europe I, Mr. Eban said Israel would not negotiate with Palestinian Arabs because “negotiations must be conducted with those who made war on us and continue to threaten us to this day.” He stressed however that the Palestinian Arab community could play an important role in bridging the differences between Israel and the Arab states. On another matter Mr. Eban said Israel has “no intention whatsoever” of asking France to reimburse it for the 50 embargoed Mirage Jets that Israel bought and paid for. “What we want is the application of the contract we signed with France after proper legal negotiations–delivery of the planes themselves,” Mr. Eban said. Asked if Israel still counts on receiving the planes, the Foreign Minister replied, “We certainly hope that France will implement its contractual obligations.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
