Foreign Minister Abba Eban reported at length at today’s Cabinet meeting on Israel’s political situation but proposed no new formulas, it was learned. He said that with regard to both major spheres of activity–resumption of the Jarring peace mission and the search for an interim agreement to reopen the Suez Canal–no new initiatives by Israel were called for.
Eban said that when Dr. Gunnar V. Jarring returns to New York Jan. 15 for further meetings with Israeli and Egyptian representatives, Israel would listen to the proposals he had to make regarding the continuation of his mission. He further stated that insofar as the American initiative for an interim accord is concerned, Israel is still waiting for the clarifications it asked for from Washington of Secretary of State William P. Rogers’ Oct. 4 speech to the UN General Assembly.
Premier Golda Meir made it clear in a speech Friday at the annual luncheon of the Israel Journalists Association in Tel Aviv that Israel will not re-enter any kind of negotiations “while our hands are tied.” She said that her government is still a waiting clarification from Washington on what it considers two crucial points–the Nixon administration’s position on Israel’s long-standing request for more Phantom jets and an explanation of Rogers’ six points outlined in his Oct. 4 speech.
Until the US provides more positive answers on both of these points, Mrs. Meir said, Israel will continue to refuse to rejoin further talks. When negotiations are offered without preconditions, the Premier said, she would ask the Knesset for permission to proceed with talks for an interim accord. Israel is deeply concerned over Rogers’ six points which included his stated opinion that a compromise was possible on the issue of an Egyptian troop crossing of the Suez Canal in the wake of an Israeli pull-back. Israel is also unhappy over the apparent US agreement with Egypt that a pull-back should be viewed as a first step toward total Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai.
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