U.S. Rejects Claims That Israel Determines U.S. Foreign Policy

The Carter Administration today rejected claims by defenders of Ambassador Andrew Young that Israel determines U.S. foreign policy because of the 1975 American commitment not to deal with the Palestine Liberation Organization until it agrees to recognize Israel’s right to exist and accepts UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.

That contention, raised loudly since the Young resignation, recurred today when State Department spokesman Hodding Carter was asked whether the commitment is an “encumbrance” to the Administration.

“This Administration accepted the commitment from its first day.” Carter replied. “We accept it today. We feel we are bound by it voluntarily.” Carter did not comment on whether it is an “encumbrance.”

Important sections of the media in various ways are siding with Young and his supporters, principally the Black community, that the U.S. should find means to deal with the PLO without the terrorist organization first accepting Israel’s right to exist in peace and Resolutions 242 and 388.

The campaign for the Carter Administration to move closer to the PLO is kept alive by continued media activity and pressure from PLO supporters to allow PLO chief Yasir Arafat to visit parts of the U.S. outside the precincts of the UN in New York City.

Hodding Carter today noted that if Arafat accepts on invitation for a meeting in the U.S. and a waiver is requested for his travel outside New York, the State Department would consider it. He emphasized that requests for waivers “are turned down 99.9 percent of the time.”

YOUNG TO HEAD TRADE DELEGATION TO AFRICA

Meanwhile, the State Department announced that Young will go to Africa Sept. 5 with a “high level” trade delegation that will include business executives to develop contacts with African government officials. The tentative itinerary includes Liberia, the Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Kenya and Senegal.

Spokesman Carter noted that Young will make the trip with his rank as U.S. Ambassador since “he will be there (at the UN) until he is replaced.” The replacement date is expected to occur Sept. 20. President Carter may name Young’s successor Friday.

Among reported leading candidates is Donald McHenry, Young’s deputy. McHenry, a Black, received wide exposure in the last three days as the chief U.S. negotiator with Soviet authorities at New York’s Kennedy Airport to determine whether ballerina Ludmila Vlasova was being forced to return to Moscow.