Chose Manhattan Bank president David Rockefeller arrived in Israel
today on a two-day visit to inspect Jewish settlements on the West Bank. He explained to reporters who accompanied him on his tour, under the guidance of Agriculture Minister Ariel Sharon, that he had been is Israel many times before but had never seen the West Bank settlements.
“I am here as an observer. I’ve been in Israel many times before but have never seen these settlements… this is a matter under much discussion and I wanted to see them for myself, at first hand,” he said.
During the tour–a rushed visit during which the guests did not even have time to drink the coffee offered them by the settlers–Sharon repeatedly stressed the defense aspects of the settlements. “Look at this land. You can see that it is all government-owned and unworked; only rocks and never used till now, “Sharon said.
And Rockefeller repeatedly asked: “Can you see the Jordan from here?” Rockefeller declined to say what he thought of the Jewish settlements on the West Bank or comment on the Reagan Administration’s view that they do not help the peace negotiations.
By Hugh Orgel
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