The British Foreign Secretary, David Owen, left Israel yesterday after a two-day official visit during which he conferred with Premier Menachem Begin and other Israeli leaders.
He sounded a hopeful note in his public statements on Middle East peace prospects, offered advice on how to defuse the explosive settlements issue and stressed several times that Begin’s peace plan was for a five-year period, subject thereafter to review. Owen said the Arabs did not appear to be sufficiently aware that Begin’s proposals were not offered as a permanent solution.
At a press conference here Monday night, Owen spoke of the “intelligence” of the Egyptian and Israeli defense ministers–Mohammed Gamassy and Ezer Weizman. Asked by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency if he agreed with President Anwar Sadat of Egypt that Weizman was a more reasonable negotiator than Begin, Owen replied that the Premier was obliged to weigh the entire picture rather than only the defense aspects and to take into account internal political factors.
“My reading of this (Israeli) Cabinet is that (Foreign Minister Moshe) Dayan and Weizman do everything they do with Mr. Begin’s agreement,” Owen said. Asked if he concurred with Begin’s statement that their meeting earlier in the day had left him (Owen)” quite satisfied,” the British diplomat replied that his conversation with the Premier had been “satisfying, open-minded and clear.” He added, however, that he and Begin did not agree on everything.
URGES NEW THINKING ON SETTLEMENTS
Owen urged “some new thinking on the concept” of Israeli settlements in the occupied areas. He said if these could be portrayed to the Arabs–and perceived by them–as instances “of Jew and Arab living together” rather than as “little lumps of Israel,” a “transitional” solution would be much easier. He said that if those settlements required protection, it should be provided by an impartial outside force such as the United Nations.
Owen said there could not be much progress on the West Bank without Jordanian participation in the peace talks. He said King Hussein would be “cautious” and would want to see an agreed Israeli-Egyptian statement of principles “to understand which way the talks were going” before deciding whether to join them. He noted that Britain retained a certain traditional influence in Jordan but it was not British policy to exert that influence “at this stage” in order to persuade Jordan to join the peace talks.
The British diplomat said the “transitional” element of Begin’s peace plan was vitally important even if Israel and the Arabs refused now even to concede that their basic positions might change in five years. He said the transitional aspect could facilitate an important opening toward progress.
ATHERTON RETURNS UNEXPECTEDLY
Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary of State Alfred L. Atherton returned to Israel unexpectedly from Cairo tonight and was scheduled to brief Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan tomorrow. He refused to make any statement to reporters at the airport where he was met by U.S. Ambassador Samuel Lewis. An American spokesman rejected speculation that his unscheduled return indicated a possible new development in the efforts to resume direct Israeli-Egyptian peace talks. He said Atherton had brought back “Egyptian reflections” on Israel’s latest proposals and that he would go to Amman, Jordan Friday.
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