Franco-israeli Relations Appear to Be in Harmony on Most Issues

Eight years of estranged and sometimes bitter relations between France and Israel appear to have ended and while the two countries views diverge sharply on the Middle East, they are more or less in accord on most other issues. The cold winds from the Elysee Palace (the French Presidential residence) have stopped blowing, Israeli Foreign Minister Yigal Allon said yesterday at the conclusion of his three-day official visit to Paris, the first of its kind by any top level Israeli government leader.

Allon had extensive talks with French Foreign Minister Jean Sauvagnargues and conferred with President Valery Giscard d’Estaing and Prime Minister Jacques Chirac. Summing up these meetings, he told newsmen that he had been received with understanding, friendship and cordiality even though important points of disagreement persist between France and Israel. Although his official visit here ended last night, Allon will stay in Paris until tomorrow in a private capacity.

BONN INVITATION HAILED

(The Israeli Foreign Minister will go to Bonn tomorrow where he was invited by West German Foreign Minister Hans Dietrich-Genscher. The two officials will discuss the Mideast situation. Officials in Jerusalem were pleased today that the invitation had been extended to Allon, They pointed out that such impromptu invitations give the lie to Arab claims that Israel is isolated diplomatically from the Western world. Officials in Jerusalem said Dietrich-Genscher would want to report to Allon on his April 14-18 visit to Cairo and Saudi Arabia.)

FOCUS ON THREE MAJOR ISSUES

Allon said his talks with French leaders centered on three major issues: Franco-Israeli bilateral relations; Israel’s desire to have closer ties with the European Economic Community; and the issue of peace in the Middle East. Israeli and French circles agree that there are no longer any major problems in the area of bilateral relations. French spokesmen said they were very good. Israeli circles described them as satisfactory.

Allon indicated that Israel would like France to demonstrate additional proof of good will by promulgating special legislation outlawing economic embargoes and discrimination against Jewish or pro-Israel firms such as have occurred under pressure from the Arab oil producing states. Israel would also like French representatives on international bodies to adopt a more objective attitude on the Arab-Israeli conflict in the future. Allon used the occasion of his meetings with French leaders to express Israel’s anxiety over French arms sales to the Arab states.

On the matter of the European Common Market, both sides seemed to be in agreement. France is expected to approve Israel’s request that its new agreement with the EEC he implemented on July 1 although the agreement has not been formally signed as yet nor have similar agreements been concluded with other Mediterranean countries such as Tunisia and Morocco.

AREAS OF DISAGREEMENT

The only serious areas of disagreement, acknowledged by Allon and his French hosts, relate to the ways and means of achieving peace in the Middle East–the common goal of peace being affirmed by both sides. Israeli circles here said the French insist that their views are motivated by what they consider Israel’s best interests.

Giscard d’Estaing reportedly advised Allon that it would be better for Israel to reach an agreement with the Arabs now than in a few year’s time because time is on the Arab side. The French leader was said to have based his argument on his view that the Arab oil weapon will become increasingly potent in the next five years as the West grows more and more dependent on Arab oil.

The French continue to believe that the Palestinians should be a negotiating partner and that no solution can be reached without their participation. They believe that international guarantees should be sufficient to reduce Israel’s need for what it considers defensible borders; and finally, the French are pressing for the broadest negotiations for an overall settlement of the entire Middle East conflict at Geneva at the earliest possible date. The French have indicated their willingness to participate in the Geneva conference but are also willing to accept Israel’s view that the conference should be reconvened with only the original negotiating partners.

Allon reportedly told the French leaders that Israel did not fear broad negotiations and would gladly return to Geneva if and when the conference is reconvened provided that adequate preparations have been made in advance. Allon also said that Israel would welcome any opportunity for peace talks and had not itself chosen the step-by-step approach above all others. However, Allon warned that if the Geneva talks failed, the Middle East situation would revert to a period of stagnation and the prospects of another war would be more serious.