Henry Kissinger said here Thursday that he did not believe an overall settlement in the Middle East is attainable at this time. But the former Secretary of State suggested that the parties to the conflict concentrate instead on reaching partial agreements for the time being.
Addressing a luncheon, Kissinger contended that as long as the Iraq-Iran war continued, and the economic situation of the Middle East countries did not stabilize, an overall comprehensive peace treaty is not possible in the region. The nations of the Middle East, Kissinger said, should therefore concentrate on “attainable objectives” of partial interim agreements.
The luncheon was a tribute to Kenneth Bialkin, upon completion of his terms as national chairman of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith and chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
President Reagan and Premier Shimon Peres of Israel sent congratulatory telegrams to Bialkin, praising his contribution to strengthening relations between Israel and the United States.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Meir Rosenne, and author Elie Wiesel also addressed the luncheon and paid tribute to Bialkin. More than 500 persons attended the meeting at the Grand Hyatt Hotel where the ADL is currently holding its 73rd national commission meeting.
Burton Levinson, a leading Los Angeles attorney, was elected national chairman of the ADL, succeeding Bialkin who had been chairman for the past four years. Currently a member of the International Presidium for Soviet Jewry, Levinson is a member of the board of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
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