Return to Peace Talks Contingent on Three Conditions; Jarring Exerting Pressure

High level consultations are in progress here on conditions under which Israel would agree to return to the Jarring talks. Although the government has not publicly abandoned its insistence that Egyptian truce violations must be corrected before the talks can resume, the feeling grew here today that Israel’s position would be eased. According to some sources, Israeli government officials have in mind three conditions which, if fulfilled, could lead to the resumption of the Jarring talks. These were said to be an American pledge to maintain the Mideast arms balance and Israel’s relative military strength at least through the end of 1971; American economic aid including easy credit terms to finance Israel’s arms purchases; and a clear American commitment to deter possible Soviet aggressions.

Reliable sources said here today that the U.S. has assured Israel that it shares the Israeli view that the Jarring peace talks are based exclusively on the United Nations Security Council’s Mideast Resolution 242 of Nov. 22, 1967. According to these sources, Foreign Minister Abba Eban brought this fact to the attention of Dr. Jarring when they met in New York. Dr. Jarring voiced no objections and Mr. Eban was said to have gained the impression that the UN envoy accepted the American-Israel position. (Reports from New York last night claimed that Dr. Jarring has set Jan. 5, 1971 as the deadline for his peace-seeking mission. He reportedly said that unless some progress is made in peace talks under his auspices by then, he will formally resign his mission. A UN spokesman said he could not confirm this report. Diplomatic sources at the UN, however, said Jarring was exerting diplomatic pressure to get the parties to return to the peace talks.)