Evron Says Carter’s Repudiation of U.S. Vote in UN Was Act of Courage

Ephraim Evron, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, denounced the governments of West Germany, France and Britain and scored the United Nations Security Council last night for the positions they are taking toward Israel and its efforts to obtain security and peace.

In an unusually outspoken address before 800 delegates attending the biennial meeting of the B’nai, B’rith Women here, Evron nevertheless had hand words for President Carter. He described the President’s repudiation of the U.S. vote supporting the March 1. Security Council resolution condemning Israel as “an act of courage.” He said “We accept it in the spirit in which it was made.”

The B’nai B’rith Women adopted a resolution this morning calling on Carter “for a plain, unambiguous clarification of American foreign policy in regard to Israel.” The resolution expressed “continued dismay at the Carter Administration’s explanation of why the U.S. voted on the side of Israel’s enemies on the crucial issues of Israel’s settlements on the West Bank and the status of Jerusalem.”

The B’nai B’rith Women presented their first Perlman Award for Human Achievement to Philip Klutznick, U.S. Secretary of Commerce and a former president of B’nai B’rith. The award is sponsored by Anita Perlman and her late husband Louis Perlman of Chicago, both long active in B’nai B’rith.

QUESTIONS ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY

Evron blasted the Security Council in his address. “The Security Council has not even taken notice of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty nor assisted with it,” he said. “Does Israel deserve this. We handed back our military installations (in Sinai) and our only sources of energy and we are in the middle of negotiations — much of it on your (U.S.) behalf. What is the purpose of all this? What is the European role and responsibility?” she asked.

Referring to West Germany, France and Britain, Evron said: “These powers have a special responsibility to Israel due to what happened on their soil only one generation ago. Recently, the German Chancellor (Helmut Schmidt) said he must as a German, accept self-determination for the Palestinians. I would have thought he would have other priorities. He is joined by President (Valery Giscard) d’Estaing of France which never helped Christian Lebanon when the PLO massacred them.

“And Great Britain wants to get into the act also. They want to bring new resolutions on the Palestinians in the Security Council. They should not forget how they abandoned us in 1939 during the period of their appeasement and the White Paper. They prohibited (Jewish) immigration into Palestine. They expected the Moslem world to come to their aid when World War II come. Well, they didn’t.” Evron added: “These countries should remembers me past and accept responsibility for the future and let the peace process proceed.”

U.S.-ISRAELI RELATIONS

With respect to U.S.-Israeli relations, Evron said: “We in Israel appreciate President Carter’s statement last Monday (March 3) repudiating last Saturday’s (March 1) UN vote — an unprecedented act. We respect President Carter and because of that respect for President Carter, we received the Security Council resolution and vote with dismay. That resolution contradicts nearly every instance in which the positions and policies of the U.S., as expounded and stated by the President and his associates and as privately explained to us on numerous occasions.”

Klutznick, who followed Evron to the podium, praised the Israeli envoy. “Whatever damage was done in recent days,” he said, “I know from personal experience much of it has been rectified by the action of Evron. I know there has been unhappiness. The answer is not in how happy you are but in where we go from here.”

Klutznick added; “I have never known a President who was not able to make a mistake. But there is only one Israel and that Israel will not be saved by the perpetuation of differences between it and its one true friend in the world. It’s not the night that kills us, it’s the frost that kills. Let there be no frost between Israel and America.”