Uneasiness over Kissinger’s Role

Uneasiness is growing here that Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger is trying to achieve disengagement of Syrian and Israeli forces mainly at Israel’s expense and without her willing agreement. He apparently has discarded the long held U.S. policy of “non-imposition” of an agreement in the Middle East and that the parties themselves must negotiate it to be effective. A contrary approach has been projected by the Soviet Union which has argued that the superpowers must impose a settlement. Some analysts here feel that Kissinger may have accepted the Soviet view on this during his talks with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko in Geneva on Monday.

According to reports from the specially selected American correspondents aboard Kissinger’s plane shuttling in the Middle East, Kissinger himself is to use his “moderating influence” upon Israel to accept conditions that include surrender of territory in the Golan Heights acquired in the Six-Day War to protect Israelis in the croplands below.

In its present politically weak and divided position and virtual total dependence on U.S. weapons and finances to pay for them, the Israeli government is seen here as probably unable to withstand Kissinger’s familiar questioning argument to Israel that says in effect. “What is your alternative to peace except withdrawal to where I suggest?”

ISRAEL’S CAPITULATION MAY BE SUGGESTED

While Israel is gloomy over the costs of the Yom Kippur War, the steady movement of U.S. policy towards support of the Arabs and appeasement of Soviet diplomacy in the detente policy, Arab leaders are exulting over prospects of achieving all their initial aims in what is termed loosely as “disengagement.”

Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, having regained the Suez area, is now publicly calling for “immediate implementation” of UN Resolution 242. He used the phrase three times in his interview on ABC-TV’s “Issues and Answers” program last Sunday. He gloated over the “complete change in the attitude of the United States towards us.” His reference to Kissinger as the “miracle man” who will achieve disengagement on the Golan Heights is interpreted here as meaning that the Secretary will “suggest” Israel into capitulation.

Some speculation also has been heard here that at some point in his Middle East talks a representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization will be allowed to sit in and meet the Secretary as an opening wedge for Palestinian participation in the Geneva conference that the Kremlin is insisting must be held.