Israelis are waiting for the return of Alfred L. Atherton, President Carter’s special envoy to the Middle East, who was due in Saudi Arabia for talks today and is expected to visit Jordan, Egypt and Israel later this week. Atherton attended the talks at Leeds Castle, England last week between Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kaamel and Secretary of State Cyrus Vance.
Vance announced at the close of that meeting Wednesday that Atherton would return to the Middle East to lay the ground work for future talks and that he himself would visit the region within two weeks. Sources here said Israel awaited Atherton’s return more for what he might tell them than what they had to say to him. He is expected to be questioned closely on Vance’s plans to visit the Middle East.
The Americans have denied that Atherton will resume the “shuttle diplomacy” he conducted last year, with little success. His trips between Jerusalem and Cairo, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, were suspended after President Anwar Sadat of Egypt launched his peace initiative last November. Israelis regard Atherton’s mission as another American attempt to keep up the momentum of peace talks.
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