Mideast Debate Begins Thursday

A United Nations spokesman confirmed today that the General Assembly’s Middle East debate will open Thursday afternoon. The first two speakers will be the representatives of Egypt and Somalia, two of the most hostile nations toward Israel. The UN spokesman added that Secretary General Thant is expected to have a Mideast report ready for the Security Council by the start of the debate. The report is being prepared under a Council request. There is no specific deadline for its submission.

Meanwhile, the UN’s Mideast intermediary, Ambassador Gunnar V. Jarring of Sweden, returned here last night from his post in Moscow. A UN spokesman said Dr. Jarring will be consulting with interested parties on the Mideast situation. Western diplomats here were reluctant to predict the effects on the debate or on the search for a Mideast peace of what they called the “regrettable” assassination yesterday of Jordanian Premier Wasfi el Tal by Palestinian terrorists. But one diplomat observed: “It can’t help.” He added that the assassination would be a particular “embarrassment” for Egypt, but did not elaborate.

RIAD: SANCTIONS QUESTIONABLE

In an interview with Time magazine last week, published in part in this week’s issue, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Riad suggested that some nations “may think it is time to invoke” sanctions against Israel for “refusing to accept UN resolutions,” while others “may think that no country should be permitted to send arms to Israel as long as they are occupying our territories.” But Riad noted that while such proposals “probably would get a majority” in the Assembly, the vote would only be a recommendation to the Security Council, “and since the Security Council has never taken such a decision, some countries might say that now is not the opportune time.”

Riad said that despite Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s threats to resume the shooting war with Israel, “there is no decision that ‘Tomorrow I will fight.'” Riad criticized Secretary of State William P. Rogers’ “failure to persuade” Israel to accept his peace plan, and criticized Israel for her “harsh rebuff” to that plan. Noting the Senate’s overwhelming vote in favor of more Phantom jets for Israel, the Egyptian said: “(I) t looks like a very funny situation. Does the US really have any policy for peace in the area? Is the US a partner in the aggression, or is it a big power trying to bring about peace in a very sensitive area? It’s very confusing to us.”

Riad was happy, however, that China has “informed us that they are giving us full support against Israeli aggression.” He also noted that the only alternative to a renewal of the Jarring peace mission is war. “If we are for peace–and we are for peace–we must push again to keep this process alive.” Riad told Time magazine. A proposal for resuming the Jarring mission was also issued by the four African Presidents who visited Israel and Egypt on fact-finding peace mission quests. Informed sources in Israel said yesterday that Israel’s response to the four-member proposal appears to be favorable with the understanding that there be no prior condition–meaning that Israel will not commit itself to withdraw from all occupied territories.