Mrs. Meir Rejects Secretary Rogers' Plan
ported Mrs. Meir's territorial
antees and troops, asking: "Is has been "nudging too hard." Sen.
policies, though they were un-
(Continued from Page 1)
there a greater security for Israel Javits praised the President for acceptable to Gahal and the Na-
taking
a
"strong
stand"
on
the
than American troops along the
was prepared to give up most of
tional Religious Party.
border and a written American Middle East. On the other hand,
Sinai although retaining Israel's
(Political observers in Jerusa-
he said, the attitude of the State
hold on the Sharm el-Sheikh strong-
guarantee?"
Department was "let's wrap it up lem questioned whether M r s .
Mrs. Meir distributed mimeo-
Joseph J. Sisco, assistant secre- and get it over with for Arab Meir's "concessions" stated in the
point.
graphed transcripts of the inter-
Menahem Begin, leader of Ga- view she gave Heren. In it she tary of state for- Near East and paper promises." Javits noted that Times interview will achieve their
hal's Herut faction, charged in the was adamant on Israel's perma- South Asia affairs,. denied that the the President makes the final purpose. They said it was certain
debate that Mrs. Meir had acted nent retention of East Jerusalism, U. S. was pressuring Israel to foreign policy decisions. He im- that she could carry the nation in
without legal or public authority the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula. plied that pressure was being new elections if the borders out-
In a letter in the March 10 issue exerted on Israel on territorial mat- lined by her in the interview rep-
to "re-partition the homeland." He and the Sharm el-Sheikh strong-
claimed that statements she made point. She stressed that Israel of Near East Report, a weekly ters. He said the U. S. was putting resented the absolute limit of the
to the Times editor contradicted must maintain a continued pres- newsletter on American policy in Israel in a position where it must territory Israel was willing to con-
long-standing pledges by her own ence on the West Bank so that the Near East published here, Sis- accept withdrawal from the Sinai cede. On the other hand, they said
Labor Party.
that what Mrs. Meir offered may
Arab forces can never again come co wrote that such reports "coult "or else."
He referred to her published as- within artillery range of Lydda not be more wrong." "It has
General U Thant not be enough and in that case the
Secretary
sertion that Israel "shall not leave Airport and Tel Aviv. But she never been our policy that the caused some eyebrows to be raised interview could lead to a govern-
the Golan Heights" because "we stated specifically that Israel did Security Council resolution of June at the United Nations Wednesday ment crisis.)
have paid something for it'' and not want to keep the Samaria and 1967 requires total Israeli with- when he said that there was no
Heren disclosed that before his
asked rhetorically: "Have we paid Judea regions because it does drawal in all cases to the pre-June "u nd a mental conflict" be meeting with Mrs. Meir he spoke
only for the Golan and not for not want to absorb its 600,000 5, 1967 line," Sisco wrote.
tween his views on Middle East to Gen. Ezer Weizman, former
"We recognize that in some in- peace keeping and those of the minister of transport, who is one
Judea and Samaria?"
Arab inhabitants.
Begin also criticized Mrs. Meir
Most effusive in praising Mrs. stances the possibility must be United States and the Soviet Union. of the leaders of the militant Herut
for offering to negotiate new fron- Meir were Deputy Premier Yigal kept open for some changes in the At a press conference on Tan. 18 faction. Weizman, who served as
tiers with Jordan - that would not Allon, Finance Minister Pinhas pre-June 1967 armistice lines Thant said that "'active participa- commander of the Israel air force
necessarily be marked by the Jor- Sapir and Minister-Without-Port - where a return to those lines would tion" by the Big Two in a Mid before entering politics, gave per-
dan River. He said if Jordanian folio Israel Galili, all of them leave elements of that conflict un- East force would "create more suasive arguments, from the mili-
soldiers did not cross the river in members of her "inner circle." resolved."
problems than it would solve," and tary standpoint, for Israel's reten-
the future, saboteurs would and She also received congratulations
Sisco was replying to charges that he had "personal doubts about tion of most or all of the Sinai
the Jordanian police would not hold from Tourism Minister Moshe Kol, published in the March 3 issue the wisdom" of a Big Four force Peninsula.
of NER by Editor I. L. Kennen, for at least a decade.
them back.
According to Weizman, Israel's
Health Minister Victor Shemtov,
Shmuel Tamir, of the Free
and Absorption Minister Nathan that "We seem to be reliving
In Washington Tuesday, Secre- position at the Sharm el-Sheikh
1957,
when
the
Soviet
Union
and
Center, one of the two factions Peled. Other ministers either of-
tars of State William P. Rogers strongpoint in southern Sinai would
that introduced no - confidence fered congratulations or refrained the U. S., competing for Presi-
reaffirmed U. S. support for a be untenable unless the high
motions, accused Mrs. Meir of from comment. The three NRP dent Nasser's favor, forced Is- Mid East force and a "respon- ground east of the Suez Canal was
leaning toward the Rogers Plan ministers were in an awkward rael to withdraw completely sible" American role unit. The UN also held by Israeli troops, tanks
from Sharm el-Sheikh and other spokesman declined repeatedly to and early warning radar units.
calling for only minor terri- position. They are more moderate
torial adjustments which both than their party rank - and - file positions occupied in the Sinai elaborate on Thant's new corn-
Heren doubted that the Gahal
the government and the Knesset which demands Israel's permanent War. Once again, as in 1957, the
ment, leading one newsman to ob- faction would ever be strong
Great
Powers
are
pressuring
Is-
had rejected.
retention of the entire West Bank
serve, to general laughter: "This enough to replace Mrs. Meir's
rael to surrender to Egyptian
"Who gave you the right to do for religious reasons.
creates more problems than it coalition government. "But it could
terms, total withdrawal from the
7e-
be a powerful influence and, in
this? Is this your private prop-
Sapir called Mrs.
solves."
Sinai Peninsula."
to
erty?", he asked bitterly.
marks a "grave matter." He
The spokesman did admit that any event, Weizman serves
Denying the charges, Sisco said:
demonstrate
Meir's
moderate
posi-
Haim Tzadok. speaking for Mrs. accused her of doing what she
Thant was "fully aware" of Rogers'
Meir's labor alignment, defended had explicitly promised not to do "It has been fundamental to our remarks Tuesday but would give tion," Heren wrote.
policy
since
June,
1967,
that
there
until
peace
negotiations
were
at
the premier. He said the govern-
no specific comment on them. The
Foreign Minister Abba Eban
should be no return to the condi- spokesman caused another flurry
ment had never declared that it a more advanced stage—draw a
discussed the Middle East situa-
tions
of
the
past;
that
there
must
would refuse to give up any ter-
map."
when he said Thant's statement *len with British Foreign Secre-
this time be a settlement which
ritory. He said the Times inter-
Mrs. Meir's aides claimed she replaces armistice with peace Wednesday was based on consulta- tary Sir Alec Douglas-Home
view and Mrs. Meir's Knesset had drawn no maps in the strictest
tions "in detail" with the U. S.
Monday afternoon at an informal
statement represented "an em- sense of the word but had merely based on direct and reciprocal com- and the USSR since Jan. 18 and meting which Israeli circles de-
mitments
of
the
parties
to
each
phatic affirmation and concreti- outlined one of several alternative
that the American participant was scribed later as useful and of an
zation of the basic elements of our plans that could serve as a basis ether, a settlement that recognizes Ambassador Charles W. Yost, who
"explanatory" n a t u r e. Eban
Israel's
borders
and
its
sover-
was replaced on March 1 by stopped off here briefly en route
policy."
for negotiations. They insisted that
eignty,
and
terminates
all
claims
The Knesset walk-out was pre- she said nothing that has not been
George Bush, meaning that the
to the United States where he.A
cipitated by a dispute over whether stated by government officials be- of belligerency and that includes consultations with the U. S. on would meet Secretary of State
security arrangements that are in- Mid East peace keeping took place
to have a roll-call vote or a secret fore.
William P. Rogers as well as
herently durable."
ballot. Begin demanded a secret
at least 17 days ago.
United Nations Secretary Gen-
Her remarks were viewed as a
Sisco
added
that
while
the
U.
S.
vote and his party cohorts shouted combination of plans advanced by
Asked by the JTA correspondent eral U Thant and Mid East
recognizes
that
borders
may
have
catcalls, drummed the floor and Deputy - Premier Allon and the
if Thant felt it was unnecessary mediator Gunnar V. Jarring, -
pounded their desks while Justice "oral plank" offered by Defense to be changed, the U. S. believes for him to confer with the new
The British foreign secretary re-
such
changes
should
be
insubstan-
Minister Yacob Shimshon Shapira Minister Moshe Dayan in the Labor
tial since "in our judgment peace U. S. representative before issuing portedly reiterated his govern-
tried to adjudicate the matter.
Party platform before the last elec- is not attainable on the basis of such a statement, the UN spokes- ment's view that Israel is entitled
When the Knesset decided to vote
on how to vote, the Gahal faction tions. But most observers acknowl- substantial alterations in the map man replied: "I am confident that to secure, internationally recog-
he feels this, yes." An American
edged that Mrs. Meir introduced
rose and walked out of the cham- a new concept when she proposed of the area that was in existence official queried by the JTA brush- nized borders. The two sides differ
on the role of the Four Powers
before
the
June
1967
war."
Com-
bar, followed by the Free Center a mixed force to guarantee the
ed aside the matter, noting that
and the Rafi State List, both splin- demilitarization of the Sinai pen- menting on the Sisco letter, Kennen "the President makes policy" and and on the degree of reliance that
ter opposition parties. Twelve of insula in which Israeli troops said "It is true that our govern- UN ambassadors differ only in can be placed on an internation-
al peace-loving force, whether pro-
Mrs. Meir's party abstained from would participate and Egyptians ment's stated objective may differ "style."
from 1957, in• that we now seek a
vided by the Big Four or the UN.
the final vote. They included some
I peace treaty. But our procedure Times Editor Heren Calls Golda
members of the NRP, and Agudat could also be included.
The United States is feeling may bar that objective."
Moderate by Israeli Standards
Israel and the pro-Moscow Rakach
He said that by attempting
I out the governments of Egypt
LONDON (JTA)—Louis Heren, `Israel Ready for Mass
Communist faction.
and Saudi Arabia on the possi- to fix the Israeli-Egyptian border the Times deputy editor whose in-
Mrs. Meir met for an hour
bility of leasing to Israel the in advance of direct negotiations, terview with Premier Golda Meir Migration From- USSR'
Wednesday with Gahal opposition
TEL AVIV .(ZINS) — Leon Dult-
Sharm el-Sheikh strongpoint or the U. S. had circumscribed Is- published last Saturday disclosed
leaders Begin and Joseph Sapir.
the off-shore islands of Sanafir rael's capacity to negotiate freely. Israel's territorial demands, said zin, treasurer' of the Jewish Ag-
Political sources said the meet-
and Tiran opposite Sharm el-
"In that respect," he continued, Tuesday that Mrs. Meir must be ency, declared that Israel is ready
ing went a long way toward re-
Sheikh, the JTA learned from re- "the difference between 1957 and regarded as a "moderate" by to receive 200,000 Jews annually
establishing a normal working
from the Soviet Union if such an
liable sources.
1971—to use the word of the day— Israel standards.
relationship between the govern-
emigration materializes.
may
prove
to
be
insubstantial.'
"
Such
an
arrangement
would
en-
In
the
interview,
the
Israeli
lead-
ment and the opposition after
A
State
Department
source
He made this statement in reply
able
Israel
to
control
the
strategic
er
listed,
in
greater
detail
than
Tuesday's stormy debate in the
Straits of Tiran giving its port of said the United States has "no ever before .in public, the Arab to a question posed by a reporter
Knesset and the Gahal walkout.
Eilat access to the sea while Egypt indication at all that Soviet per- territories Israel considers essen- from "Letste Neues" who asked
The sources insisted that the
and Saudi Arabia retained sover- sonnel are leaving the UAR." tial to its future security. They whether the Jewish Agency and
meeting had been scheduled earli-
The source was commenting on included the Golan Heights, East the Israeli government were pre-
eignity over their territory.
er and did not stem from Tues-
According to the report, an Is- an assertion by Sen. Mike Mans- Jerusalem, Sharm el-Sheikh and pared to cope with a mass emi-
day's events, but bitterness per-
field, Montana Democrat, Satur-
gration from Russia, if the author_
sisted between Gahal and the Meir raeli leasehold on the two islands day, that he had been advised the Gaza Strip.
Heren indicated that while Meir's ities there permitted it.
government. Begin told the JTA would be an alternative to a lease that Soviet troops have with-
While not minimizing the grav-
that Tuesday's 62-0 vote of confi- on Sharm el-Sheikh. The islands drawn from surface-to-air mis- position may be considered in-
dence was meaningless. The issue guarding the Straits of Tiran were sile sites along the Suez Canal transigent by the Arabs and ity of the task, Dultzin re-
others, it is moderate compared
affirmed his conviction that Is-
was the territorial policy stated by garrisoned by Egypt under an ar-
although Russian advisers have
to the demands of Israel's chief rael could handle this challenge.
Premier Meir in the London Times. rangement with the Saudi govern- been left behind.
opposition faction, Gahal. The
Begin introduced a private bill ment in June 1967. They are pres-
Mansfield said Egyptian forces writer said that Israel "is arguably
He further noted that such a
in the Knesset Wednesday calling ently uninhabited.
were now in charge of the Soviet a demoncracy . • . (and) unlike mass emigration could not be ac-
The
JTA
learned
reliably
that
in
for dissolution of the Knesset in
missiles. The same State Depart-
complished without the support of
preparation for new elections. He his private conversation in Wash- ment source said there have been any Arab government, the gov- Diaspora Jewry. "But I am confi-
ernment
in
Jerusalem
must
be
suggested June 15 as the election ington with Israeli President Zal- "redeployments" of Soviet forces
dent," Dultzin said, "that there
man Shazar, President Nixon in Egypt but that the department guided by public opinion.''
date.
He observed that Mrs. Meir has are no limits to the financial sup-
promised
that
"as
long
as
I
am
Mrs. Meir earlier won an over-
would not go so far as to say that
President, the flow of arms to Is- there have been any withdrawals less room for maneuver than p ort which the Jewish people is
whelming vote of confidence from
ready to give for the purpose of
rael
will
continue
and
the
taps
will
Premier Edward Heath of Britain
her cabinet colleagues Sunday
as indicated by Sen. Mansfield.
obtaining such a mass aliya. We
over the interview published in remain open."
Sen. Jacob K. Javits said Sun- or President Nixon." Apart from
Mr. Nixon's pledge, the sources day that President Nixon differed her fervent belief in the wisdom are quite conscious of the fact
the Times. Even the National Re-
that this task will require billions
ligious Party ministers who were said, was not conditional on Israeli with the State Department in his and necessity of her policy, her upon billions of dollars. The Jew-
concessions
in
the
conflict
with
the
government
would
not
survive
one
initially critical of Mrs. Meir's
approach to Israel in the Middle
ish people is capable of giving us
assertion that Israel was pre- Arabs.
East conflict. The President "has week if she agreed to withdraw this help. I know our people and
Mr.
Nixon
was
also
said
to
have
pared to give up most of the
been excellent," the New York Re- Israeli troops from the strong posi- am certain that it will make the
West Bank, retreated. They said stressed to Shazar that Israel publican told a panel of newsmen tions captured in 1967," he said.
necessary effort," Dultzin con-
He added that at least 70 per
they were only expressing "sur- should accept international guar- on the CBS program "Face the
cluded.
cent
of
the
Israeli
electorate
sup-
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Nation" but the State Department
36 Friday, March 19, 1971
prise" that the premier had not
seen fit to acquaint the cabinet
with the interview before its
publication.
—