The United States considers Israel Foreign Minister Abba Eban’s nine-point peace program, presented to the General Assembly yesterday, an “important” one, a U.S. spokesman said here today. The speech was under study, he said.
Meanwhile, the spokesman said the U.S. “considers it highly important that the parties (to the Middle East conflict) make every effort to advance to a successful conclusion the discussions being held under Ambassador (Gunnar V.) Jarring’s auspices.” He said that the U.S. “notes Mr. Eban’s assurance that Israel will cooperate in this task.”
A central point in Mr. Eban’s peace program was a declaration of readiness to replace cease-fire lines by permanent, secure and recognized boundaries and to carry out disposition of forces in full accord with boundaries agreed under a final peace.
In Washington, the State Department, commenting on Mr. Eban’s speech, said that it was “constructive” and that there was satisfaction that he promised cooperation with UN peace envoy Dr. Gunnar V. Jarring and moved away to some extent from insistence on direct peace talks. The Eban address was regarded as basically a restatement with some amplification of previous Israeli positions. U.S. authorities noted what they considered progressive proposals on the Arab refugee issue and ideas that provided a wedge for reopening the Jerusalem issue.
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