Likud leader Menachem Begin and Prof. Yigal Yadin, head of the Democratic Movement for Change (DMC) participated in the first round of resumed coalition talks between the two parties here today. The meeting concentrated on political problems including questions related to reconvening the Geneva conference and Jewish settlements in the administered territories. The talks will continue Sunday.
Simcha Ehrlich, Likud’s number two man said the atmosphere at today’s meeting was amicable and that some progress was made. A DMC spokesman described the talks as preliminary and said they were conducted in an atmosphere of good will. The negotiations were broken off by the DMC last week after Begin nominated former Defense Minister Moshe Dayan for the office of Foreign Minister in a Likud-led government. They were resumed after Likud agreed that all issues, including Cabinet appointments, would be open for discussion.
Begin presented Yadin with a 15-point program that he drafted as the guideline on which a coalition government could be formed with the participation of the DMC and the National Religious Party (NRP). Although the program is, of necessity, generalized and, according to Begin, can be changed, its most important elements could be interpreted as leaning toward the DMC position.
The draft states that peace will be the prime aim of the Israeli government and it will spare no effort to enhance the prospects for peace in the region. It states that the government will take part in the Geneva conference and will invite Israel’s neighbors, directly or through a friendly power, to hold direct negotiations for a contractual peace agreement with no pre-conditions by either side and without any formulas originating outside the region.
The draft also promised that as long as there is no peace agreement, the new Israeli government will regard itself bound by the agreements reached by the previous government. The 15-point program was presented to the NRP this afternoon.
It was learned that the DMC is seeking the Foreign Ministry portfolio to ensure that once agreement is reached with Likud on foreign policy matters it will be implemented. Yadin is apparently prepared to accept the Foreign Ministry himself. There are no indications that Begin intends to withdraw his nomination of Dayan although officially it remains just one of several possible proposals.
Some circles speculated that Yadin might be appointed Deputy Premier and assigned to head the Israeli delegation to the Geneva conference, if and when it convenes. In that event, the DMC would play an important part in shaping Israel’s policy.
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