In an address tonight at a dinner given in his honor at the Knesset, Vice President Walter Mondale pledged to Israel in the name of President Carter, “that the U.S. will not permit that your security will be compromised in the search for peace.” He told the festive gathering hosted by Premier Menachem Begin, “I pledge to you that my country will not fail to provide Israel with the essential and crucial military assistance nor will we use that assistance as a form of pressure.”
Mondale, however, urged Israel to make the necessary sacrifices in order to achieve peace. He stressed the common interests of Israel and the U.S. and stressed the importance of Security Council Resolution 242. He asked Israel to recognize the Palestinians’ “right to participate in the determination of their own destiny,” an expression first used by President Carter at his January 4 meeting with President Anwar Sadat of Egypt at Aswan.
“Real peace will clearly serve Israel’s security interests,” Mondale said. “Any peace settlement must include permanent protection to Israel.” In possible hints as to what type of protection he had in mind, Mondale referred to the interim agreements reached between Israel and Egypt with the help of the U.S. (By Gil Sedan)
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