Israel Ambassador Abba Eban revealed today that Israel officials have had an opportunity to express their views directly to the U.S. Defense Department which is now examining the arms list submitted by Israel to the State Department recently.
Mr. Eban revealed this after a lengthy talk this week-end with George V. Allen, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. He did not i###uire today into the status of Israel’s arms application during that talk but he said he expects to do so this week. Asked if he compared notes with Mr. Allen on peace possibilities, Ambassador Eban declined to comment. Asked directly about the prospects of an Arab-Israel peace, he said Israel has always advocated a settlement based on reciprocity and mutuality; he questioned, however, if the other side was prepared for this.
Commenting on chances of Arab-Israel peace in an address this week-end before the Foreign Policy Association, Mr. Allen emphasized that “with good will on both sides” the chances for peace were good. Noting that Ambassador Eban had expressed doubt of improved peace prospects, Mr. Allen said the State Department had indicated enthusiasm about the chances for peace between the Arab states and Israel. He added that he wished to stress the phrase used by the State Department “with good will on both sides. This, he indicated, was the key to the Department’s view of peace prospects.
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.
