Arye Eliav. a leading Israeli advocate for a peace initiative to come from the Israeli government, declared here that Israel’s participation in the current Security Council debate on incidents in the West Bank represents a reversal of his government’s policy.
Israel’s former boycott of such sessions resulted in Israel being further isolated from world opinion.” he said. “Her current participation allows her to present effectively her just case to the world. Hopefully, this reversal of policy represents the inauguration of a major Israel foreign policy offensive which can force the PLO to unequivocally state whether it is willing to live in peace with Israel. Without an Israeli peace initiative, I am afraid that Israel’s international isolation will continue to worsen.” he said.
“Only a strong Israel can afford to take those new bold initiatives necessary to achieve peace,”Eliav said. “Continued American economic and military aid to Israel is therefore essential.”
Eliav made his comments in a prepared statement which he issued at a news conference held Tuesday in the building of the Friends Committee on National Legislation near the Capitol. The session marked the opening of his five-week campaign that will take him to New York, Boston San Francisco, Los Angeles. Chicago and Philadelphia He will end his tour in Washington April 26.
His tour is being sponsored nationally by Breira (Alternative), a left-wing group with which he is affiliated by membership on its advisory committee. Eliav. a former Secretary General of the Israel Labor Party and currently in the independent Socialist Party–which has two members in the Knesset with him as one of them–said on his speaking tour he will also be sponsored by the Jewish Agency when he talks about prospective olim. Attending the press conference with him was Robert Loeb of Breira’s executive board.
OUTLINES PEACE INITIATIVE
Eliav urged that Israel’s “peace initiative” should consist of a “general declaration” of what it considers to constitute a long-term comprehensive settlement of all the outstanding problems between Israel and its Arab neighbors.”
Israel should declare, he said in a prepared statement, that in “exchange for a full peace–this would include peace treaties, full diplomatic relations, demilitarized zones in the returned territories and mutual inspection in these territories–Israel would be willing to withdraw from the territories occupied in the 1967 war with mutually agreed upon adjustments in the final border lines.”
He said that Israel should “also clarify that it is not opposed to the rights of the Palestinians to self-determination in a state of their own–to be established alongside Israel in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip” and that the Palestinians themselves would “determine their relationship” and federation with the east bank of Jordan.
United States policy is not very far from this kind of concept but it is not spelled out.” Eliav said regarding his general settlement idea. “The Arabs have not spelled it out because they are intransigent” with respect to a settlement.
With a reporter from the U.S. Communist Party publication, the Daily World and a representative of the Soviet Embassy among the seven persons who turned up for the news conference. many questions centered on Soviet-Israeli relations.
CATALYST FOR SOVIET DIPLOMACY
Eliav said that the “first role” in the peace-making process is with the United States, since it has diplomatic relations with “both sides., “but the Soviets “can play a role.” He said “a very great majority in the Knesset” would back an Israeli-Soviet rapprochement but the Soviet Union is saying “maybe we will be ready (for diplomatic relations) if there is a settlement.”
He thought an Israeli peace initiative might be a catalyst for Soviet diplomacy, too. He said “I would not go out of my way now for recognition of Israel by the Soviets. The key lies with the U.S. and the Arabs” for peace. But he emphasized that the USSR does not “harbor annihilation” of Israel although it would “like a simmering conflict” for its own purposes, including the sale of arms. Eliav also said that an Israeli settlement statement would be “a catalyst” for those who are now in “a closet and who would want to speak.”
Asked what would happen if the Arabs rejected the Israeli initiative he has outlined. Eliav replied: “If the Arabs say ‘we don’t retreat’ then we do not give one square inch.” He said his outline would be the beginning of “a long and tortuous process” but called it “good tactics.” (By Joseph Polakoff)
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