Israeli officials said today they were not concerned by President Reagan’s letter to King Hussein of Jordan promising U.S. support if Jordan joins in peace talks based on Reagan’s September 1, 1982 initiative.
Hussein revealed the letter in an interview published in The New York Times. He said it outlined steps the U.S. would take if Jordan decided to enter the negotiations. But Israeli officials insisted that Washington is “skeptical” of the prospects of Hussein joining in negotiations with Israel. They maintained that Reagan’s letter should be seen as a ploy aimed at public opinion in the Arab world rather than an indication the U.S. has reason to believe Hussein would agree to come to the negotiating table.
The Israeli officials said the skepticism with regard to Jordan was part of a general American disillusionment with the moderate Arab states, particularly Jordan and Saudi Arabia which did not live up to the hopes the U.S. had placed in them.
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