UN Officials Draw Blank on Jarring’s Effort to Bring Egypt and Israel to Peace Talks

There was growing suspicion today that UN officials had failed to disclose and are continuing to conceal an effort by Ambassador Gunnar V. Jarring to bring Israel and Egypt together for peace talks. Newsmen who raised the question referred to a letter from Israeli Ambassador Yosef Tekoah, submitted yesterday to Secretary General U Thant. stating. “The United Arab Republic..has refused the proposals by the Secretary General’s special representative. Ambassador Gunnar Jarring, to convene Israeli and the United Arab Republic for peace talks.” A UN spokesman contended that “No one in the house (UN headquarters) is aware of any such proposals by Ambassador Jarring.” adding. “I checked on this when I read Ambassador Tekoah’s statement, but could find no one who knew what it meant.” He said that neither Mr. Thant nor Dr. Ralphe J. Bunche, Under-Secretary General for Special Political Affairs, understood Mr. Tekoah’s reference. The reference was part of a letter dealing with Pres. Nasser’s May 1 speech in Egypt where he warned the U.S. that continued aid to Israel would affect UAR-U.S. relations “for many decades, perhaps centuries.” Mr. Tekoah, responding to the UN spokesman’s statement, declared: “I hope that the files containing peace efforts. including suggestions for meeting of the parties (Israel and Egypt) to discuss the establishment of a just and lasting peace, have not been destroyed under the impact of our “belligerent.'” A spokesman for the Israel Mission to the UN told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that Dr. Jarring’s proposal for Egypt and Israel to meet in Cyprus is contained in a UN document of March 21.1968. The spokesman said that “in March 1968 Dr. Jarring tried to convince representatives of the parties to meet in Cyprus. Egypt rejected this proposal.”