Mrs. Meir Has Round of Talks with British Leaders, Reiterates Israel’s Peace Policy

Israel’s visiting Premier Golda Meir spent a busy day today during which she met British Opposition leaders and addressed the Foreign Press Association, the Royal Institute of International Affairs and a gathering of Jewish youth at the headquarters of the Poale Zion youth movement. Tomorrow she will confer with Foreign Secretary Michael Stewart and with Jeremy Thorpe, leader of the Liberal Party, and will be the luncheon guest of Lord Thomson of Fleet, owner and manager of the Times of London. Her meetings today were with Conservative party leader Edward Heath and Sir Alec Douglas Home, former Conservative Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary and now the Opposition spokesman on foreign affairs.

Mrs. Meir told the Foreign Press Association that Israel does not accept Four Power or two-power–U.S, and USSR–intervention in the Middle East because. no powers can settle the fate of other people “in our day and age.” She said none of the Big Powers “can sign in our behalf or in behalf of the Arabs and they are not in a position to reach agreed proposals without our participation. To this we will not agree.”

Mrs. Meir insisted that Israel’s ambition “is not to win wars, although if there is another war we will no doubt win again.” She said her country desires only peace but will not be satisfied by a “synthetic peace” or “makeshift arrangements.” She said if Israel could not get peace, “we shall stay where we are.” She expressed the hope that France’s hostile attitude toward Israel would become a thing of the past. Of Soviet Russia, she said, “we are not at war with any of the Big Powers but Russia can hardly claim neutrality.”

The purpose of Mrs. Meir’s visit is to address the opening session of the conference of the Socialist International on Monday. The British Foreign Ministry stressed today that her visit was “unofficial” but it welcomed the opportunity for meetings and exchanges of views.