Goldmann Not Surprised by U.S. Move

Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Jewish Congress, said here yesterday that he was not surprised by Monday’s formal statement by the State Department that Israel would have to withdraw from territories on all fronts to achieve a true peace in the Middle East. He said the statement was the same that “I have heard and heard again from people in the American Administration when I visited Washington just a month ago.”

Goldmann arrived here after a series of meetings with leaders in the U.S. and other countries. These included a recent talk with Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Carter’s National Security Advisor. He said he would not divulge the contents of that talk until he briefed Premier Menachem Begin. But Goldmann predicted that Israel will face a very difficult period in the months ahead and that Begin will have a very hard time trying to persuade President Carter to accept his approach.

He said Carter is known to be a strong personality who stands firmly by his ideas and will doubtlessly try to convince Begin that his way is the best for Israel and peace. He said that while Begin’s image in the U.S. was improving, many Americans believe he is too rigid.

Goldmann said that many Americans support Carter’s Middle East diplomacy and agree with the President that now is the best time to reach a Middle East peace settlement and that failure to do so could lead to a new and terrible war. But Goldmann is convinced that the Geneva conference cannot take place before this fall. It is necessary to agree on the general framework of a peace conference and Carter, Israel and the Arabs cannot reach such an agreement, at least before the fall, he said.

Goldmann said that Carter’s recent gesture approving the sale of some military items to Israel was intended to establish a more amicable atmosphere for his talks with Begin next month and that further similar gestures by the President could be expected before Begin arrives in the U.S.