The Washington Post reported in a copyrighted story today that “behind the scenes, there has been heavy Administration pressures on Israel for one-sided concessions.”
Joseph Kraft wrote that “at one point, the United States very nearly switched its United Nations vote from abstention to Aye on a Pakistani resolution which, in effect, called for unconditional Israeli withdrawal from Jerusalem. This disposition to give way is particularly disquieting because, beneath the surface of events, there has been a considerable drift away from the extremist lead of Algeria and Syria.”
The report said “Jordan is obviously eager for talks” and logic should impel the U. S. to allow time to pass before pressuring Israel for arbitrary concessions. The writer pointed out that the oil-rich Arab states wish a return to business as usual. He noted that, in Morocco, the regime was strong enough to jail a well-known labor leader for agitating against Jews and that, in Tunisia, President Bourguiba is ready to recognize Israel diplomatically as soon as peace talks begin.
An analysis was made of economic pressures on Egypt which are forcing that country towards a settlement. The Post report said “in this situation, doing nothing can be a paying proposition for the United States. The more time goes by, the more the impasse draws on without agreement, the more there will be promoted the sense of reality which must precede any settlement.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.