Officials Hope for Cabinet Unity on Reply to U.S. Questions

Official circles here expressed hope for unanimity when the Cabinet meets Monday to decide on Israel’s reply to questions posed by the United States regarding the future status of the West Bank. The desire for Cabinet unity on the response was voiced following a meeting yesterday between Premier Menachem Begin and Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan at which they drafted the reply to be presented to the full Cabinet.

Both men have denied rumors of differences between them on the issue. Dayan stressed that he stands by Begin’s original peace plan offering “self rule” to the Palestinians on the West Bank. He denied any intention of proposing changes. He and Begin have given no hint of the possible content of the reply. Informed sources predicted today that it will be “phrased in positive terms” but will, in fact, not go much beyond the self-rule proposal which leaves the final question of status open.

DMC UNCERTAIN OF STAND

That approach may not satisfy the four ministers of the Democratic Movement for Change who reportedly are considering whether to submit a draft reply of their own to the Cabinet. One of them, Transport Minister Meir Amit, has called for a reply that is “positive in content as well as in tone.” Deputy Premier Yigael Yadin, leader of the DMC, said he and his colleagues would probably make their final decision during the Cabinet meeting Monday.

The questions posed by President Carter to Begin were: Is Israel prepared to say that in five years’ time, a final decision can be taken on the status of the West Bank and Gaza? And what mechanism would Israel propose for the making of that decision? The second question is predicated on Israel’s flat rejection of the American proposal for a “limited options referendum” after five years of self rule that would give the West Bank Arabs a choice of linkage to Jordan, linkage to Israel or continuation of the self rule arrangement.