Kissinger: Israel Should Never Return to Pre-1967 Borders nor Should It Annex the West Bank

Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said here last night that “never again should Israel return to the pre-1967 borders nor should Israel annex the West Bank. A compromise solution should be found.”

Kissinger, addressing a dinner of the Israel Bond Organization honoring Canadian industrialist Charles Bronfman for his services to Israel, predicted that “Soon the West Bank problem will come to the forefront and here the U.S. and Israel must adopt a common attitude acceptable to the European Economic Community and to public opinion as a whole.”

He said that arbitration between the Arab states and Israel is an American priority, but thanks to the dogmatism of Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko “oil is poured on fire in the Middle East trouble areas.” He said that if Syria is now an ally of Russia which is providing her with large quanti- ties of arms, eventually she will decide to look after her own interests.

According to Kissinger, “If Syria did not agree with the Israeli-Lebanese troop withdrawal plan it is because it was not involved in the negotiations.” He said it was too early to say what Syria is going to do. Kissinger, who was himself deeply involved in Middle East peace negotiations in 1974-75, spoke warmly of Israel. “The continued survival of Israel as an independent and sovereign state touches me personally and I feel emotionally and historically involved with it,” he said.

Bronfman, who is president of the Seagram Corp., was presented with the Golda Meir Award, a bronze bust of the late Israeli Premier, by Israel’s Ambassador to Canada, Yeshayahu Anug. Bronfman, in his remarks, noted that “Israel is a country filled with decent people who have realized, in a land left fallow, agricultural and technological miracles. If you cherish democracy and freedom, you must believe in Israel,” he said.