Prime Minister Levi Eshkol told a nationwide television audience today that Israel was prepared to discuss any and all issues at the peace table with no taboo, “not even for Jerusalem,” but he made it clear that there was no possibility of Israel ever agreeing to return to the pre-June borders. Mr. Eshkol appeared on the National Broadcasting Company’s “Today” program, and was interviewed by Pauline Frederick, the NBC correspondent at the United Nations.
The Prime Minister disclosed that Israel had given United Nations Ambassador Gunnar Jarring an agenda for negotiations with Egypt and one for talks with Jordan. “I think the agenda includes almost everything,” he commented. “And in addition, we said the other party may present some writings, too.” When Miss Frederick suggested that the Arab acceptance of the Jarring mission represented a step of progress, Mr. Eshkol agreed that would be the case if the Arab states “accept the (Security Council) resolution as it was really meant by the powers who proposed this resolution.” He promised that Israel would give Ambassador Jarring a sympathetic approach and help, so that he would be able to make progress.
Mr. Eshkol said the most important result of his meeting with President Johnson was “the increase of understanding between the two nations.” He staunchly refused to go beyond the terms of the U.S.-Israel communique issued yesterday, on whether Mr. Johnson promised him more or new military planes.
USSR NOT MOVING ON DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS; SEES LINK BETWEEN VIETNAM AND MIDEAST
The Prime Minister said, in response to questions from Miss Frederick, that Israel had tried to reestablish diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, “but it was of no avail. I did not succeed.” In response to another question, he said “there is some connection” between the Vietnam crisis and the Middle East situation, but noted that “it is difficult to say something definite if this is really tied up one with the other, but there may be some element in it.”
Miss Frederick asked whether, if Israel retained the territory it had taken in the June war and extended democracy to that area so it was represented, the Arabs would not outnumber the Jews in the Knesset. Mr. Eshkol said that would not be the case today, and stressed again that the future of the occupied territories would be decided at the peace table.
“What we want today,” he said, “what we ask, what our desire is, is to meet at a round table and discuss, first of all, discuss peace and establish a real peace treaty which we were not able to establish during all these 20 years…Then we’ll come to discuss about borders, secure and agreed, as it was phrased in the United Nations.”
Mr. Eshkol concluded on a note of optimism that peace talks would eventually be held. “I believe.” he said, “that, one day, common sense will prevail and our neighbors will see that there is no other way out.”
JOHNSON’S REPLY TO ARMS REQUEST REPORTED ‘AFFIRMATIVE’
President Johnson responded “affirmatively” to Prime Minister Eshkol’s request for United States armament aid to Israel, it was learned here today. Israeli sources here made that disclosure following Mr. Eshkol’s return last night from Texas, where he had spent 22 hours as Mr. Johnson’s guest.
After a full, frank and extremely friendly discussion, Israeli sources said. President Johnson agreed with Mr. Eshkol that both countries – the U.S.A. and Israel – are interested in the establishment of secure and recognized borders between Israel and its neighboring states. The mechanics for implementation of that mutual goal are still to be worked out, but Israel made it clear to the President that the peace mission undertaken to the Middle East by the special United Nations emissary, Ambassador Gunnar V. Jarring. has been approached by the Israeli Government with extreme courtesy, sympathy and understanding.
Examples of Israel’s interest in concretizing its peaceful approach to the Arab states, it was pointed out to President Johnson, are the facts that it was Israel that had proposed measures for release by Egypt of the 15 foreign ships stranded since last June in a section of the Suez Canal, and that Israel last week freed 500 Egyptian prisoners of war, out of a total of 5,000 held by Israel.
Another important matter that came up in the Johnson-Eshkol talks, according to Israeli sources, concerned the long-standing joint agreement by the United States and Israel for the development of the large-scale desalination project in Israel, which is to use nuclear energy for both electrification and desalination purposes. Mr. Eshkol was understood to have pointed out to the President that Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker, previously named by the President as the official in charge of coordinating that project on behalf of the United States, had virtually vacated that position since he was sent to Saigon as the U.S. Ambassador there. Mr. Johnson was understood to have indicated that the would soon appoint another envoy to represent the United States in connection with the project.
Israeli sources said there was no specific discussion regarding the Vietnam war between the two statesmen, and there was no mention whatever of the attitude toward the Vietnam war on the part of Jewish organizations in the United States.
CORDIAL TELEGRAMS EXCHANGED BY LEADERS; ROBERT KENNEDY FAVORS U.S. AID TO ISRAEL
As a mutual follow-up to the Texas talks, cordial telegrams were exchanged today between the President and Mr. Eshkol. In his wire, signed “Ladybird and Lyndon Johnson,” the President asserted that the American and Israeli people “will have a better understanding of our mutual problems” as a result of the Eshkol visit and that “we will together move forward in accordance with our understanding.” He termed the Eshkol visit “helpful and, I think, will be quite productive.”
Replying on his own behalf as well as Mrs. Eshkol’s, the Israeli Premier stated that “our conversations in your Texas home, Mr. President, enabled us to deepened our mutual understanding and, I am sure, will be a further milestone in the relations between our countries.” “I came away from the meeting with you,” Mr. Eshkol added, “deeply touched by your friendship to my people and your concern for peace.”
In his New York hotel suite today, Mr. Eshkol met, among others, with Senator Robert F. Kennedy. The New York Democrat said after their talk that he favored action by the United States toward supplying Israel with “whatever assistance is necessary to preserve Israel’s borders and protect the integrity of its people.”
This afternoon, Mr. Eshkol paid a visit to Yeshiva University. Later today, he met at his hotel for an off-the-record briefing with members of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. The Conference is composed of 21 organizations, representing virtually all Jewry in the United States.
This afternoon, Mrs. Eshkol paid a visit to Roosevelt Hospital, to see a Plaza Hotel security guard, Aaron Greenberg, who was stabbed last Saturday while on guard duty at the hostelry. He had foiled an attempted robbery in a suite on the floor below the one where the Israelis stayed, shooting the suspect. The suspect was not connected by police with any possible attack against Mr. Eshkol.
Mr. Eshkol’s schedule tomorrow includes a major address at a luncheon to be tendered in his honor by the Overseas Press Club. In the evening, he will be the guest of honor at a dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel under the sponsorship of 50 leading national Jewish organizations, headed by the Israel Bond Organization and the United Jewish Appeal.
More than 2,500 Jewish leaders from all walks of life and from every section of the country are expected to attend the dinner. Serving as hosts and spokesmen for the sponsoring organizations, which represent every shade in the spectrum of American Jewish communal, cultural and philanthropic endeavor, will be Edward Ginsberg of Cleveland, general chairman, and Max Fisher, of Detroit, president of the UJA; and Abraham Feinberg of New York, president, and Samuel Rothberg, of Peoria, Ill., national campaign chairman of the Israel Bond Organization.
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