Louis Heren, the Times’ deputy editor whose interview with Premier Golda Meir published last Saturday disclosed Israel’s minimal territorial demands, said today that Mrs. Meir must be regarded as a “moderate” by Israeli standards. Heren indicated that while Mrs. Meir’s position may be considered intransigent by the Arabs and others, it is moderate compared to the demands of Israel’s chief opposition faction, Gahal. The writer said that Israel “is arguably a democracy…(and) unlike any Arab government, the government in Jerusalem must be guided by public opinion.” He observed that Mrs. Meir has less room for maneuver than Premier Edward Heath of Britain or President Nixon. “Apart from her fervent belief in the wisdom and necessity of her policy, her government would not survive one week if she agreed to withdraw Israeli troops from the strong positions captured in 1967,” he said. He added that at least 70 percent of the Israeli electorate supported Mrs. Meir’s territorial policies though they were unacceptable to Gahal and the National Religious Party.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
