Israeli Reply to Egypt Being Dratted; Will Be Conveyed to Cairo Through Jarring

Premier Golda Meir and Foreign Minister Abba Eban are drafting Israel’s reply to the latest Egyptian note which will be conveyed to Cairo through United Nations mediator Gunnar V. Jarring, political sources disclosed today. They said the reply would “relate to specific issues contained in the Security Council Resolution 242” of Nov. 22, 1967 and that the drafting is expected to take several days. There was no indication when the Israeli note would be presented to Jarring. Foreign Ministry sources told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that Israel was not seriously concerned by Egypt’s prompt rejection of yesterday’s Cabinet statement. The sources said the Egyptians still found it necessary “to speak in two different tongues,” for home consumption and foreign consumption, but that this “would not be fatal for the future of the Jarring talks.” Egypt’s Middle East News Agency reported yesterday that an “official” source had labeled the Israeli statement “a clear and categorical rejection.” But the Foreign Ministry source told JTA, “We are confident that wiser counsels will prevail (in Cairo) and are optimistic.” The source observed that “two serious hurdles to peace have been cleared: Egypt’s expression of willingness to make peace and Israel’s willingness to pronounce the word ‘withdrawal.’ We hope the rest will follow,” the source said.

According to authoritative circles here, yesterday’s Cabinet pronouncement that Israel will not return to its pre-Six-Day War boundaries should not be taken as a juridical pre-condition to peace negotiations. The circles said that if Egypt insisted that Israel abrogate that position, no negotiations could take place but in the course of negotiations, Egypt will be free to raise its own views regarding frontiers. The circles said that what Israel refuses to agree to is that Egypt should draw the peace map in advance of talks. For that reason, the “no return” clause was deliberately inserted into the Cabinet statement which otherwise could have been misinterpreted as meaning that Israel had relinquished one of its basic positions. The circles said that the reply presently being drafted by Israel will be specific, but will not deal with future borders. Most Israeli newspapers commented favorably on yesterday’s Cabinet statement. The consensus of opinion was that the statement clearly put the burden on Egypt to proceed toward a peace settlement and convinced world opinion of Israel’s desire for peace. Yitzhak Rabin, Israel’s ambassador to Washington, declined to answer any questions asked by newsmen on his departure today from Israel to return to Washington. “I came, I reported and I participated in the government meeting yesterday,” was all he said as he left.