Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir said today there are no differences in the coalition government on the peace process.
“While we may differ on tactics, there is full agreement on the goal and principle of peace,” he told the opening of the eighth plenary assembly of the World Jewish Congress at the Jerusalem Hilton. “The problem is not between Labor and the Likud, but between us and Egypt, and us and Jordan.”
Shamir, who is scheduled to replace Shimon Peres as Premier in October, criticized Egypt for not keeping its commitments under the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, including not returning its Ambassador to Israel.
THE TROUBLE WITH JORDAN
But his major remarks on the peace process were aimed at Jordan, noting that every Israeli government has asked King Hussein to engage in negotiations. “Now it looks like his involvement with Syria, on one hand, and the PLO, on the other, limits his freedom of movement and action,” Shamir said.
“It is an undeniable fact that the PLO is an enemy of peace with Israel and, therefore, any cooperation with the PLO, any dependence on the PLO, any commitment to the PLO will only reduce the chances of peace.”
Shamir said that the only way to achieve peace is through direct negotiations. “There is no need for new forums and umbrellas,” he declared. “We can meet face to face and talk directly to each other.”
Shamir made no mention of Peres’ remarks during his European visit that some progress was being made and that Israel would accept an international forum leading to direct negotiations. But Peres stressed that if the Soviet Union was to participate, it must first restore diplomatic relations with Israel.
However, Shamir said today that Israel has no evidence that Moscow plans to change its policy toward Israel. “In fact, they continually assure the Arab governments that they have no intention of doing so,” he said.
A MORE ENCOURAGING ASSESSMENT
A more encouraging assessment of the peace process was presented last night to the American delegates to the assembly by U.S. Ambassador Thomas Pickering, who said he was optimistic. He said that he has received reports that the Europeans, especially Britain, were impressed by what they heard from Peres.
Another speaker today was Italian Defense Minister Giovanni Spadolini, who resigned from the Italian Cabinet after his government released Muhammad Abbas, mastermind of the Achille Lauro hijacking. He said he acted for moral, not political reasons adding “I am ready to do it again, on all the occasions when it might be necessary.”
Spadolini, who stressed he was not representing the Italian government today, said. “It is necessary to prevent international terrorism from reaching its objective, which is to stop the peace process in the Middle East, the signs of which we begin to see.”
He said the friends of the Jewish people want conditions to be achieved to make it “possible for Israel to live in peace and harmony with Israel’s neighbors.”
The Assembly, attended by some 800 people from 60 countries, marks the 50th anniversary of the World Jewish Congress. Guido Goldmann, son of Nahum Goldmann, spoke about his father, who along with Rabbi Stephen Wise, founded the WJC. Goldman succeeded Wise as WJC president, a post he held for many years.
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