Israel Reaffirms No Disengagement Talks with Syria Until Pow List is in Its Hands and Red Cross Visi

The government denied today that it was wavering in its determination not to begin disengagement talks with Syria until the latter provides a list of Israeli POWs in its hands and permits the International Red Cross to visit them. A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office this morning said that Israel’s position remains unchanged and that it had been re-stated to “international bodies working to bring about an agreement between the two countries.”

The statement was in response to a report published in Haaretz yesterday that the government had decided to begin discussions with the United States on separation of forces on the Syrian front before the Syrians allow Red Cross personnel to visit Israeli POWs. According to Haaretz the only condition Israel retained was that Syria must provide a POW list before it would enter into negotiations.

Foreign Minister Abba Eban admitted last night, however, that the U.S. had suggested that Israel exchange views with Syria before the submission of a POW list. But Washington has not presented any demands or conditions on the question of the prisoners, Eban said in a speech at Holon. He said there were signs that the Syrians were willing to negotiate through the offices of the U.S. Secretary of State.

Sources here said the feeling the Israeli position had weakened probably stemmed from Israel’s response to an American offer to begin some form of negotiations on disengagement. Israel told the U.S. that as long as the subject of discussion was tactical, not substantive, it would not be opposed to American contacts with Syria on the subject of disengagement, the sources said. They interpreted this as meaning that Israel would not oppose initial clarifications between the two parties–through the U.S.–but would not enter into discussions before the Syrians complied fully on the POW issue.