Muskie Sees Jarring Talks As ‘form’ for Compromise Between Israel, Egypt

Sen. Edmund Muskie said today that in the course of a three-and-a-half hour conversation with Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin, “I couldn’t get the ultimate intentions of the Soviet Union” with regard to the Middle East. Muskie said that in response to a question at a press conference as to whether the Russians really want peace in the Middle East. The Maine Democrat returned last night from a visit abroad that took him to Israel, Egypt, West Germany and the Soviet Union. He said that when it came to the superpowers, United States and the Soviet Union, the ultimate intentions of each side is always subject to speculation and doubt by the other. He said however that of the three major area of U.S.-Soviet bargaining, the SALT talks, Berlin and the Middle East, the latter posed by far the most difficult problem. “In this area we have the greatest doubt about each others intentions,” he said, adding that the best way to resolve the U.S.-Soviet conflict in the Mideast was to bring about an Arab-Israeli peace. He conceded that this will be difficult because “neither side has any confidence whatsoever of the good intentions of the other regarding their rightful national aspirations.”

Asked if he supported current U.S. policy in the Mideast, Muskie replied, “As I understand it now, our policy is to build on the Jarring talks, 1 do support that.” He continued, “difficult as it is to achieve a meaningful beginning, that is all we can hope to achieve.” He said that “Israel feels passionately about secure borders and Egypt feels passionately about the recovery of territory.” There is a need for some sort of compromise and the Jarring talked are a “form” for that, he said. Sen. Muskie, who met with Premier Golda Meir and other Israeli leaders while in Israel, said that Israel had made “substantive proposals” to Jarring and “Egypt has been heard from.” He said that Israel’s economic position was “tight” but that Israel has not brought up the matter of American lend-lease proposed by Gov. Averill Harriman recently. Regarding proposals for a Big Power peace-keeping force in the Mideast. Muskie said he would prefer to leave that to the Jarring talks. The Senator said that the situation of Soviet Jews came up in his talks with Kosygin but he would not discuss the Soviet Premier’s remarks on the subject because their conversation was confidential. He said the Russians would never admit that there is any discrimination against Jews in the Soviet Union. He said the pressure of world opinion was a major factor in bringing about the commutation of two death sentences in Leningrad last month. although the Russians will deny, it.