Rabin Urges Israel to Take Forceful, Well-weighted Stand Against New Us Tactics in Mideast

Israel’s Ambassador to Washington, Yitzhak Rabin, called on Israel to take a “forceful but well-weighted stand” against the new American diplomatic tactics in the Middle East even if that may lead to further delays in the supply of “certain items of military equipment” to Israel. Rabin made his remarks in a taped radio interview broadcast here yesterday. He accused the United States of having overstepped its role as a middleman in the Israel-Egyptian dispute. Rabin was commenting on Secretary of State William P. Rogers’ speech to the Security Council last week which Israel regards as a shift toward the Egyptian position on an interim settlement to reopen the Suez Canal.

In related developments, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt began talks in Moscow with Soviet leaders aimed at getting still more Russian military equipment. Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin, who ended a three-day visit to Morocco yesterday in order to fly home to greet Sadat, warned in Rabat that the Middle East situation “can degenerate into conflict” and urged a “rapid” and “peaceful” solution. Rogers expressed cautious optimism in Washington that Israel and Egypt would reach an interim accord on the Suez Canal “because it is the only viable alternative” to war. Sadat stated Egypt’s conditions for an interim settlement in an address to professors and students in Cairo on the eve of his departure for Moscow. According to the newspaper Al Achoar, he demanded an initial Israeli withdrawal some 20-30 miles inside Sinai to be followed by an Egyptian Army advance and re-occupation of strategic passes.

Sadat also called for a time limit on the ceasefire as long as there is no final peace settlement and demanded that Israel refrain from discussing Egypt’s international boundary in an “insulting manner.” Sadat also demanded that Israel refrain from annexing the Gaza Strip and give the inhabitants a choice of independence or incorporation into Egypt. Israeli circles claimed that Sadat’s conditions had a striking similarity to the Rogers plan for settling the Mideast conflict. They noted that the boundaries outlined by the Egyptian president were the same as envisaged by the Rogers plan except that Rogers acknowledged the need for special status for Sharm el-Sheikh which commands the Straits of Tiran and Sadat refuses to accept this. Israel has categorically rejected the Rogers plan which was first proposed in Dec. 1970. According to the Cairo newspaper, Sadat disclosed that diplomatic contacts between Egypt and the US were resumed several days ago but complained that “the Americans are playing with our nerves.”

(Political circles in London said today that Sadat’s visit to Moscow has three major objectives: To find out exactly what the Russians have been discussing with the Americans on the Mideast; to obtain more arms; and to enhance Sadat’s credibility at home. The circles said that Soviet-Egyptian relations were not as good as they used to be before last spring’s pro-Communist coup in Sudan was aborted. They said that part of Sadat’s mission was to regain the confidence of the Kremlin leaders. According to arms experts in London, Egypt has over 2,000 Soviet tanks and enough aircraft for a successful campaign provided she has the tank crews and air crews to man them which is very doubtful.)