The White House today publicly refused to take any position on King Hussein’s announced plan for a United Arab Kingdom embracing the Israeli occupied West Bank of the Jordan River but left an impression that President Nixon is not unsympathetic with it. Meeting the press after the President had conferred with King Hussein for 80 minutes, Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler said:
“We are not commenting on the substance of the plan at all. This is an internal matter. I’m not willing to enter into it–one way or another.” State Department and White House officials have consistently refused comment on the King’s plan since he announced it on March 15. Israel and most Arab countries and the Palestinian groups have all denounced it. The Soviet Union, England and France have been silent on the plan.
In discussing the King’s plan, Ziegler stressed that the “legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians must be reached.” He added, “We are not injecting ourselves by publicly saying what the agreement should be, but the legitimate aspirations must be met.” King Hussein is in Washington for a “private visit,” the White House announced, and will remain in Washington for “a few days” before returning to Amman.
PLAN CAN CREATE PEACEFUL ENVIRONMENT
Ziegler emphasized, in response to questions from the press, that King Hussein’s “proposal for an autonomous Palestine is a reorganization plan after a peace agreement is achieved in the Middle East or between Israel and Jordan.” The King’s plan, Ziegler added, is not “directly” tied to a peace settlement. The US. Ziegler said, is “prepared to help facilitate progress for peace and play a constructive role to that end” in accordance with UN Resolution 242.
Ziegler described the talks between the two leaders as “very cordial and to the point.” He said that “in particular” the status of the current efforts for a peaceful settlement were reviewed.
LATE NEWS BULLETIN: The New York City Council by a vote of 35-2 adopted today a bill banning Sabbath elections for official and quasi official posts. The bill had been introduced by Councilman Theodore Silverman (D. Bklyn) to prevent Sabbath elections for members of the city’s 26 anti-poverty community boards.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
