The resumption of international navigation through the Suez Canal and the rebuilding of the towns along its banks would improve the atmosphere for an overall Mideast settlement, Foreign Minister Abba Eban said last night on a televised interview. He did not think there was much chance of resuming the Jarring peace mission at this time because Egypt’s demand that Israel return to its old international boundaries remains the chief obstacle.
The Israeli Foreign Minister said special weight should be given to the fact that President Anwar Sadat of Egypt decided at the crucial moment, not to renew hostilities with Israel despite his frequent threats and belligerent statements still emanating from Cairo. But Sadat’s genuine desire for peace has yet to be proven in actual peace talks, Eban said.
Meanwhile, United Nations mediator Gunnar V. Jarring still adheres to his Feb. 8. 1971 aide memoir to Israel and Egypt, it was learned in reports reaching here from Dakar, Senegal where Dr. Jarring visited briefly last week. The UN mediator met in Dakar with Senegalese President Leopold Senghor who headed last fall’s exploratory peace mission of four African Presidents to the Middle East.
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