Us-russian Accord on Middle East Not Acceptable to Israel if Not Consulted

Premier Golda Meir said today that if the United States were to reach an accord with Soviet Russia on a Middle East settlement without consulting Israel. “We will have to tell our friends in Washington, ‘sorry, absolutely unacceptable.” Speaking to a group of visiting American-Jewish newspaper editors, Mrs. Meir said however that she believes Israel “has a friend in the White House” and that America would never force it to withdraw from Arab territory without a genuine peace settlement.

Mrs. Meir attributed the failure to achieve peace to President Gamal Abdel Nasser, of Egypt who, she said, was “obsessed” with the idea of trying to destroy Israel and was “frustrated” because he tried three times and failed. She said Nasser’s preoccupation with war against Israel to the neglect of grave social and economic problems in Egypt, served the interests of Soviet Russia. “Russian interest can thrive only as long as there is no peace and as long as Nasser thinks a tank is more important than a tractor,” according to Mrs. Meir.

The Prime Minister’s Office said today that a United Press International dispatch which quoted the Premier as saying that there is no chance for a Mideast peace as long as Nasser continues to rule Egypt was “incorrect.” The correct quote, according to the Prime Minister’s Office was, “As long as Nasser is the ruler of Egypt I cannot say when there will be peace.”