Premier Golda Meir today flatly rejected King Hussein’s proposal for a “United Arab Kingdom” comprising the east and west banks of the Jordan. She claimed the plan was not a basis for peace and was detrimental to Israel’s interests. While there was no question that Hussein’s plan would be turned down by Israel, the sharpness of Mrs. Meir’s statement to the Knesset surprised many observers.
She heaped scorn on the Jordanian monarch, observing that his plan “concerns territories which are not under his control” and accused him of pretentious to “crown himself King of Jerusalem” and “ruler of larger expanses of territory than had been under his control even before the Six-Day War. This plan shows that Hussein has not learned his lesson from his defeat,” Mrs. Meir said.
The plan was also denounced today by the official Egyptian government newspaper Al Gumhuriya which called it a blow to Arab unity and predicted a break in diplomatic relations between Cairo and Amman and said that other Arab states might do the same.
KNESSET BACKS MRS. MEIR’S STATEMENT
Mrs. Meir’s statement won virtually unanimous approval in the Knesset during the debate that followed. All factions except the New Communists joined her in condemning Hussein’s plan. By a 44-4 vote with 27 abstentions, the
The larger factions abstaining were Gahal, the Free Center and the State List. The parties of the far left voted against the government. Poalei Agudat Israel voted with the coalition. All Knesset members of Agudat Israel are abroad and the faction did not take part in the debate and vote. Prior to the final vote the coalition split over a Gahal motion consisting of a single sentence asserting Israel’s historic right to Eretz Israel. The National Religious Party voted with Gahal for it, but the other coalition factions defeated it.
NEGOTIATIONS ONLY ROAD TO PEACE
Hussein’s plan called for a federation of the east and west banks of the Jordan with a dual parliament and dual government bodies headed by the Hashemite ruler. The West Bank region of the federation would be called Palestine and its capital would be Jerusalem. The King also invited the Gaza Strip to join the federation after its liberation.
“The whole plan is a unilateral, completely surprising proposal by Jordan and whoever tries to create the impression that it is the result of prior consultations (with Israel) or an agreed plan, exposes himself to ridicule,” Mrs. Meir said. She was referring apparently to reports on Baghdad radio before Hussein announced his plan that Jordan had made a separate peace with Israel.
She said that nowhere in Hussein’s speech was the word peace mentioned and “Israel was not mentioned as a factor with which agreement must be reached.” Mrs. Meir declared that “No unilateral statement or act of Jordan will bring peace closer by even one step. No mental acrobatics even though they lead to banner headlines will lead to constructive change. The only road to peace is through negotiations in a realistic and courageous spirit,” Mrs. Meir said.
Israel, she continued, “will continue in her policy laid down when the cease-fire came into force in 1967. She will fortify as necessary, guided by considerations of security but will be ready at any time for peace talks.” Mrs. Meir had a few words of approval for what she described as “recent internal changes in Jordan that led to stability.” She spoke of Jordan’s decision not to join forces with Egypt and Syria in an “Eastern command” against Israel as a positive step.
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