The Israeli government is attempting to convey the message that while it intends to retain all territories it considers essential to national security, it is laying down no pre-conditions for peace talks with the Arabs. The latest reiteration of this position was contained in an interview with Israel Galili, a Labor Minister-Without-Portfolio who is a member of Premier Golda Meir’s inner circle and is considered a spokesman for her government.
In the interview published today in the newspaper, Haaretz, Galili said there was no secret of Israel’s intention to retain the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights and Sharm el-Sheikh. But, he emphasized, these are intentions, not conditions, and therefore Israel can legitimately speak of sitting down to peace talks with the Arabs without preconditions. He said he saw nothing wrong in making Israel’s intentions public.
NO RETURN TO ROGERS PLAN
Galili said Israel should make it clear to the US that there will be no return to the Rogers Plan borders–the armistice lines that existed before the June, 1967 war. He said this position has to be stressed on the eve of President Nixon’s Moscow trip. “We have to do everything to convince the Americans that we are serious when we talk of the necessity of substantial changes in the borders to the extent that we are ready to undergo risks for them,” Galili said.
He repeated his warning that Israel cannot afford to be complacent over Nixon’s impending summit meeting in Moscow with Soviet leaders as if no danger could arise from that meeting. “I hope the Americans will not buy a Soviet promise to pull Russian troops out of Egypt in return for a promise to see to the implementation of the Rogers Plan.” Galili said.
Referring to the controversial cordoning off of an area between the southern Gaza Strip and northern Sinai, which involved the relocation of several thousand Bedouins, Galili said the operation was decided by the military for security reasons and therefore did not require advance approval by the government. He said the move was not made to clear the land for future Jewish settlement and that there are no current plans to settle the region. However, Galili added, this does not mean such plans would not come up at a later date.
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