Rabin; Israel Prepared to Seek Peace Through Any Possible Means

Premier Yitzhak Rabin told a packed Knesset today that Israel was prepared to seek peace through any possible means “including through the Geneva conference” and “remains ready to conclude a partial settlement accord with Egypt.” He said that while the situation in the Middle East has worsened, war was not inevitable because of the failure of Secretary of State Henry A, Kissinger’s step-by-step diplomacy, the onus for which he placed squarely on Egypt.

Rabin confirmed that there were “differences of views and assessments” between Israel and the United States but said he believed these “will not distort U.S.-Israel relations.” He indicated for the first time publicly that the U.S. had urged him to consider Egyptian proposals. But, he explained, in the final analysis despite the obvious weight which America’s views carried in Jerusalem, the U.S. Administration itself understood “not only Israel’s needs but its duty to act in an independent manner.”

He said, with respect to U.S.-Israeli relations, that “We have acted in harmonious understanding for years and Israel will continue to act in this way in the future. Israel has great respect and admiration for the American people, their elected representatives and the American President. I believe the U.S. has an interest in developing an independent, strong and peace-loving Israel,” the Premier said. He praised Secretary Kissinger’s role in the peace efforts and predicted that the Secretary of State would have “a most valuable role” to play in future peace moves.

Rabin addressed a special session of the Knesset called by the government less than a week after Parliament began its spring recess. He said that as long as war has not broken out, everything possible must be done to prevent it. Referring to war-like sounds emanating from the Arab media, he declared that Arab threats would have no effect on Israel’s national resolve. He urged Egypt and Syria to respect the earlier disengagement agreements still in force on the basis of reciprocity with Israel.

DEFENDS GOVERNMENT’S DECISION

Rabin strongly defended his government’s decision not to comply with Egyptian territorial demands. He said the proposals conveyed from Aswan by Kissinger were clearly designed to serve Egypt’s military advantage. To have accepted them would have meant taking unjustifiable risks without making progress toward peace, he said. He said that Israel had never balked at taking risks and had advanced very far-reaching proposals of its own. But Egypt rejected them all and bears “a heavy responsibility for the present situation,” Rabin declared.

BEIGIN APPEALS TO FORD

Speaking on behalf of the Likud opposition, Menachem Beigin appealed directly to President Ford not to forsake his record of over 20 years of friendship toward Israel. Without referring to Ford’s letter to Rabin last week which reportedly contained a sharp rebuke to Israel for taking too hard a line in the peace negotiations. Beigin urged Ford not to follow the pattern of many world statesmen who be friended Israel while in opposition but turned against it once they reached positions of power.

Beigin told the Knesset that Likud was opposed to even the more modest of Israel’s proposals because they would have ceded the Sinai oil fields to Egypt without ending the state of war. He said Egypt aimed to isolate Israel and asked, “After the Iran-Iraq agreement, after the Kurdish collapse, after recent events in Southeast Asia, who could expect Israel to give up its strategic assets?” He urged the government not to soothe the trepidations of American Jewry but to share with them Israel’s candid concern and anxiety.