Israel has received Egypt’s latest proposals for a joint declaration of principles and will present its formal reply tomorrow to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Alfred L. Atherton to convey to Cairo, Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan indicated today. Dayan was briefed last night by Atherton on his return from the Egyptian capital.
He told reporters later that Israel would register its points of agreement and disagreement at a special Cabinet session tomorrow after which Atherton will return to Cairo. The American diplomat said before leaving Egypt Friday that he had been given “concrete” and “helpful” ideas by the Egyptians which he would present to Israel. But he also indicated that his shuttle diplomacy was for from over.
Israeli leaders were apparently unhappy with what they heard from Atherton. According to some sources, there has been no substantive movement on the difficult “Palestinian clause” of a proposed joint declaration nor has Egypt softened its demand for an Israeli undertaking in principle to withdraw from all occupied Arab territories.
DAYAN: EGYPT’S POSITION HAS HARDENED
Dayan, interviewed Friday on Israel Radio, claimed that the Egyptian position has hardened and attributed it in part to the absence of support for President Anwar Sadat’s peace initiative in the Arab world, especially from Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
He said that during the talks between Premier Menachem Begin and President Carter in Washington next month, Israel should be open to new ideas and conceptions but not yield on any issues vital to its security. In that connection, Dayan said Israel could never accept Egyptian demands for Palestinian self-determination and withdrawal from all occupied areas.
FRESH APPROACH IS NECESSARY
Dayan said, in addition, that Israel must keep in mind long range military and political considerations and adapt its positions to reality so as not to lose momentum in the peace talks with Egypt. But he stressed that Israel must resist stubbomly any compromises inimical to its security and survival.
He said a fresh approach is necessary because, he believes, it is no longer possible to conclude a separate peace with Egypt and a comprehensive peace embracing Jordan and Syria is improbable because both those countries insist on preconditions unacceptable for Israel. However, Dayan said he was not pessimistic over the prospects for an eventual break in the present impasse.
EGYPT AND ISRAEL SHARE BLAME
Meanwhile, former Premier Yitzhak Rabin, also interviewed Friday on Israel Radio, apportioned blame equally between Israel and Egypt for what he termed the failure of the recent attempts at direct peace talks between the two countries. “Unfortunately, this system has now failed, at least for the time being, “he said.
Rabin said there were “too many misunderstandings” between Begin and Sadat at their private meetings. He also criticized the “show business” methods used by both leaders and what he termed “the ghost settlements” erected by Israel “in Sinai and tricky settlements under cover of archaeological excavations or military camps on the West Bank.” He said such moves “put too many question marks on Israel’s credibility in its attempts to achieve peace.”
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