U.S. Stands Pat on Jerusalem

The State Department reiterated its position on Jerusalem today and said it was not aware that the issue raised difficulties at the autonomy talks between Israel and Egypt which resumed in Cairo today after being suspended for more than two months.

“I’m not aware that the discussions on Jerusalem have hit a snag,” the Department’s chief spokesman, John Trattner, said in reply to questions. “Our position on Jerusalem is known to both parties to the talks. There was an exchange of letters about Jerusalem at the time of the Camp David frameworks…. Our position on Jerusalem before a settlement is not to prejudge it,” he said.

(It was reported from Cairo today that the talks got off to a shaky start after Justice Minister Shmuel Tamir, heading the Israeli delegation and Egyptian Ministers of State Butros Ghali quarreled publicly over the status of Jerusalem at Cairo Airport.

(Tamir reiterated that united Jerusalem was Israel’s capital and Ghali retorted that this was not Egypt’s position, Egyptian and Israeli sources reported that the Jerusalem issue was not raised in today’s deliberations. Ghali said agreement was reached on an agenda item covering the proposed self-governing council for the West Bank and Gaza Strip under the autonomy plan.)

Trattner said he had no word as to when U.S. special Ambassador Sol Linowitz will return to the Middle East to participate in the autonomy negotiations. Asked about independent Presidential candidate John Anderson’s visit to Israel and Egypt last week, Trattner said “I will not comment on the voyages of political candidates.” Trattner also said “We are happy to see Prime Minister Menachem Begin out of the hospital.”