U.S. Continues Low Key Reaction to Israeli Cabinet Statement; Negative Assessment Denied

Media reports that the Carter Administration is dissatisfied and irritated with the Begin government’s latest statements on the West Bank’s future were contradicted by a top diplomatic source here today following Israeli-American consultations here and in Israel.

The State Department also appeared to go out of its way to deny the reported negative official American impression following the Begin Cabinet’s statement Sunday. In addition, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat also indicated the Israeli response was not “the continued intransigence” that other Egyptian officials had portrayed about the Begin position.

At the State Department, chief spokesman Hooding Carter said “more commutations” are taking place between Americans, Egyptians and Israelis on the Begin government’s five year plan for the West Bank and Gaza Strip and Palestinian Arab participation in a future agreement. Carter said, “We have received further clarification” from the Israelis since the Begin Cabinet’s decision Sunday and that the State Department has “never said we did not get anything constructive” from the Israelis. He seemed to narrow high level Israeli-American consultations to Vice President Walter Mondale’s visit to Israel June 29, noting he had no information on either Israelis coming to Washington on other American leaders going to Israel before then.

U.S. RESPONSE CALLED ‘USEFUL,’ ‘HELPFUL’

Addressing the Central Committee of the Arab Socialist Union in Cairo, Sadat said that the Israeli reply to the two U.S. questions on the West Bank’s future is “vague and not positive but it does not cut off all threads” for resumption of Egyptian Israeli talks. However, he also said “We are not prepared

Meanwhile, taking note of American media reports that U.S. officials were disappointed with the Begin movement’s reply which they also were quoted as saying fell short of U.S. expectations, a senior diplomatic source told some correspondents that the U.S. reaction to the “clarifications” by the Begin government about its statement was “useful and helpful. ” The diplomatic source said the U.S. was now seeking “further clarification” from Egypt in light of the Israeli comments. The Israeli response, the diplomat said, was flexible while Egypt has not provided any specifics on its intentions regarding a settlement with Israel.

United Nations Resolution 242, the basic document for the peace process, was not mentioned in the formal Begin response, the diplomat indicated, because Israel has accepted the resolution in all its parts and no statements about it are now required from Israel. The U.S., however, appears to want Israel to go beyond the tenets of 242 regarding withdrawal from the West Bank, he said. Israel, he added, adhered to all aspects of a peace agreement without modifying 242.