United Nations Secretary General Kurt Waldheim said here that he will raise the question of occupied territories when he meets with Israeli Premier Menachem Begin. Waldheim said he had invited Begin to meet with him in New York, July 22 to discuss the future of the territories and assess the chances of an early resumption of the Geneva conference. Begin will be in Washington July 19-20 to meet with President Carter. On July 21 the Israeli Premier will be guest of honor at a national dinner of welcome and tribute in New York under the auspices of the Israel Bond Organization.
Waldheim told a press conference here Friday that he doubted that the Geneva talks could be resumed Oct. 10 as Begin suggested recently. He said the situation regarding the West Bank, following statements made by the Premier, had to be clarified before the Israelis and the Arabs could start serious talks.
He added that the participation of the Palestine Liberation Organization in the Geneva talks had still to be solved. Waldheim said the question of Israel’s withdrawal from occupied territories was at the nucleus of the problems to be tackled.
He added: “But there is also the question of a homeland for the Palestinian people as suggested by President Carter and rejected by the Israeli government, and of course, the right of Israel to exist within secure and recognized borders…all this has to be done between now and the resumption of the Geneva talks”. Waldheim said all parties involved must be fully prepared to take part in the talks, “otherwise we run the risk of a failure”.
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