Percy Urges Face-to-face Negotiations Between Israel. Arabs

Sen. Charles Percy (R.I11.) urged, “face-to-face negotiations” between Israel and the Arabs and warned, in a report he submitted today to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, that “a very real danger exists” of a fifth Arab-Israeli war this year unless “significant negotiating progress is made in the near future.”

The 91-page report, prepared for the committee of which Percy is a member, also urged that “efforts for a pre-Geneva arrangement-either partial or total-be accelerated and pursued on an urgent basis” because the “suspension” of the step-by-step negotiations conducted by Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger “raises the specter of further stalemate at Geneva.”

The Senator’s report also took cognizance of the huge U.S. military sales to Saudi Arabia and warned that “Saudi military effectiveness therefore must be considered in the balance of forces in a future Arab-Israeli conflict.”

SAUDI DISCRIMINATION A CONCERN

Percy, who angered Chicago Jewish leaders by advocating that Israel communicate with the Palestine Liberation Organization following his recent 23-day, 12-nation tour of the Middle East, also

In that connection, Percy wrote, the American government should not sanction or cooperate with such discriminatory practices. He added that “If the joint (Saudi-American) Economic Commission is to operate, then it must be with the best available talent, the best firms and the best products without discrimination on the basis of race, color or creed,” (See separate story on the Joint commission.)

Percy’s report was prepared, in part at least, following the breakdown of the Israeli-Egyptian negotiations conducted by Kissinger last month. The Senator stated: “Much as I admire the diplomatic skills of Henry Kissinger, I came away from the Middle East concerned that all the confrontation states were relying too heavily on the United States to make peace in their area of the world. Ultimately, only the parties directly involved can take the steps, demonstrate the good faith, create the good will, and make the concessions which are required for a lasting settlement of their differences.”

GROWING U.S. INVOLVEMENT IN SAUDI

Regarding the Saudi Arabian boycott of Jews and companies doing business with Israel, Percy’s report observed that “U.S. support of Israel is a major dilemma in Saudi foreign policy” and “America’s close ties to Israel do present a problem but they have not hindered growing U.S. commercial commitments or direct involvement of Americans in Saudi government projects. In fact, U.S. official involvement in Saudi Arabia is significant and is expected to grow.”

Percy observed further that with the U.S. engaged in huge military sales programs with Iran and Saudi Arabia, “Iranian forces and equipment will not be used against Israel but the probabilities are high that Saudi forces will war with Israel if the Middle East conflict breaks open again. Saudi military effectiveness therefore must be considered in the balance of forces in a future Arab-Israeli conflict.”