Linowitz: Israel’s Claim That Some West Bank Settlements Are Necessary for Security is ‘demonstrable

Sol Linowitz, President Carter’s new Special Ambassador to the Middle East, said today that Israel’s claim that some settlements on the West Bank “are necessary for its settlements on the West Bank “are necessary for its security” was “demonstrable” and that the Israeli Military Government’s decision today to revoke the deportation order against Mayor Bassam Shaka of Nablus was a “positive development.” He also said that he thought Israel was not receiving sufficient credit for giving up the Sinai oilfields, a “great contribution to the peace process.”

Linowitz made these comments in the course of a wide-ranging press conference with Israeli and American Jewish reporters on the eve of his departure for the Middle East. He leaves tomorrow night on his first official trip to that region in his new capacity.

Linowitz offered his views with respect to the settlements issue when he was asked if there has been a “slight change” in U.S. policy inasmuch as President Carter, Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and the State Department have repeatedly said that Israeli civilian settlements in the occupied Arab territories are “illegal.” Linowitz said, “My approach, my understanding is that Israel maintains some settlements are necessary for its security” and “that is demonstrable.”

But, he added, he also “understands” that “Israel was going beyond that” and “Israel has to recognize its policy is not demonstrable to its security ” and has an effect “on the ongoing negotiations between Egypt and Israel.” He said his “understanding” is that the Administration opposes the “unlimited proliferation” of settlements on the West Bark and Gaza. Asked if the 32 new settlements proposed by the government of Premier Menachem Begin were regarded as “proliferation,” Linowitz teplied, “I don’t know.”

GREAT CONTRIBUTION TO PEACE PROCESS

Replying to a question by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the new envoy said “The world is not giving attention” to the “great contribution to the peace process” that Israel is making by returning the Sinai oilfields to Egypt. He characterized that as a “tremendous undertaking,” noting that Israel was “giving up energy of this particular time” and “Israel did not get the credit Israel was entitled to get.” World attention was focussed on the settlements and the Shaka case, he observed while “giving up the oilfields was a dramatic action by Israel” in keeping with its commitments.

Asked if he thought dropping the expulsion order against Shaka was a “positive development,” Linowitz replied, “It is indeed.” He said that Vance was in touch with Begin about the effects the expulsion of Shaka would have on the autonomy talks and on other factors and events in the region. The restoration of Shaka to office “removes this disruptive element from the negotiations and therefore characterizes it as a positive development,” he said.

Linowitz emphasized that in his new assignment “my role is to deal with the Middle East tomorrow, stopping over at a U. S. air base in Spain and would arrive in Cairo Saturday for a meeting with President Anwar Sadat. Later, he will go to Jerusalem to meet with Begin. He said he would attend the next plenary session of the autonomy talks in Herzliya, Israel Dec. 12-13 and would return to Washington on the night of Dec. 13.

He said he hoped to meet with King Hussein of Jordan when “convenient” to Hussein but “not specifically on this trip.” He said he has not met with any Palestinian Arabs in Washington in connection with his new duties and he does not expect to meet with any on his forthcoming trip.

HAD EARLIER TURNED DOWN POST

Linowitz disclosed that he was first offered the post of Special Ambassador to the Middle East by Vance before the Camp David conference in September 1978. He said he turned it down at the time because he felt a summit conference was essential before he could be effective. Now that the way has been cleared for a solution of the Palestinian problem on the West Bank, he feels that there is “a chance” for a settlement.

Linowitz also disclosed that Carter had declined to discuss the new political assignment for his predecessor, Robert Strauss, until he, Linowitz accepted the job of Special Ambassador. Strauss has since been appointed manager of the President’s re-election campaign. Linowitz said that in discussing his assignment with the President, he had noted that both he and Strauss are Jewish. He reported that the President told him that he had “thought it over carefully and that he did not think it would be a problem.”