Sen. Charles Percy (R. III.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called today for a "new initiative" not only by the United States but also by Arab countries it peace is to be achieved in the Middle East.
"U.S. leadership is going to be needed," Percy said in an appearance on the NBC-TV "Meet the Press" program. But he noted that on his trip to the Middle East during the Congressional Christmas-New Year recess, he told the leaders of each of the 13 Arab countries he visited that "It’s up to you if you ever want peace in the Middle East to come forward also with the some kind of initiatives that President (Anwar) Sodat did and Premier (Menachem) Begin did in bringing about the Camp David talks."
Percy said it is now necessary to broaden the Camp David talks by bringing in at least one or two other Arab countries. He said "at this time" the U.S. should not talk to the Palestine Liberation Organization. But he stressed, "You must deal with representatives of the Palestinians if you are ever going to have peace in the Middle East."
Percy also said that Point 7 of the plan proposed by Crown Prince Fahd of Saudi Arabia "clearly implies without any equivocation" recognition of Israel. "Isn’t that what Israel has always wanted?" he asked. Percy did not say, however, whether the U.S. should support the Fahd plan. Most observers here expect the plan to be revived in the next few months.
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