Kissinger: Israeli-Syrian Disengagement
Negotiations to Start Within Two Weeks
WASHINGTON (JTA) —
Secretary of State Henry A.
Kissinger told reporters Wed-
nesday that he expected
Israeli-Syrian disengagement
talks "to start within about
two weeks" in Washington.
He said, "We hope negoti-
ations will be given a chance
to progress, and the United
States will make a very
major effort to bring about
a separation of forces be-
Syria and Israel just
did
i between Egypt and
ael."
Kissinger made his re-
marks after attending a
closed meeting of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee.
His optimistic outlook for the
start of Israeli-Syrian dis-
engagement talks seemed to
reflect the Improvement
Tuesday night of the political
situation in Israel, where
Premier Golda Meir was pro-
ceeding with the establish-
ment of a new cabinet that
'will include Defense Minister
Moshe Dayan.
Only Tuesday, State De-
partment sources had indi-
cated to the Jewish Tele-
, graphic Agency that because
of the uncertain political
situation in Israel, the Is-
raeli-Syrian disengagement
talks were in "a state of
limbo."
Asked about the latest de-
velopments in Israel, Kissin-
ger replied, "We worked
very closely with Premier
Golda Meir's (outgoing) cab,
inet, and we know we will
be able to work closely with
them in the future."
Meanwhile, the State De-
partment indicated that a
- close watch was being kent
on the situation on the Is-
raeli-Syrian front where a
large-scale Syrian military
buildup was reported Tues-
day night.
Department snokesm an
- George Vest said at Wednes-
day's press briefing, "We re-
gard the Golan situation a
matter of concern. That's
why we are interested in dis-
engagement. As long as there
is no stabilization, it will re-
main delicate."
• He said he had "no pre-
cise information on the size
and activity of the forces"
said to be massed by Syria.
"The situation remains un-
stable as it has been right
along," he said. He said he
had no information on re-
.-- ports of a new Soviet arms
airlift to Syria.
Vest said he was aware of
Wednesday's joint Soviet-
Ro- ' - 'ian communique that
•
viet Union would par-
„,ipate in every phase of
the Middle East peace con-
ference in Geneva. He noted
that the Soviet Union is a
co-guarantor of the Geneva
Conference.
He also said, in reply to a
question, that Israeli-Syrian
disengagement talks were
"within the aegis of the
Geneva activities, of course.”
Vest, asked about Israeli
Foreign Minister Abba
Eban's planned visit here
-next week, said "I don't
know if he will be pursuing
the disengagement" process.
(Foreign ministry sources
7--in Jerusalem said that Eban
may go to the U. S. next
; 7
week — if the political situa-
tion at home allows this—for
talks with Kissinger. Details
have not yet been worked
out.)
Vest refused to discuss re-
ports of an assassination plot
against Kissinger to have
been carried out by Pales-
tinian gunmen during a
scheduled visit by the secre-
tary to the Mosque of Omay-
ed in Damascus.
The assassination attempt
reportedly was to have oc-
curred when Kissinger pass-
ed through a crowded mar-
ket place on his way to the
mosque.
The secretary canceled the
visit because his talks with
Syrian President Hafez Assad
took longer than expected.
Vest said it was , depart-
ment policy not to discuss
publicly such incidents in the
interests of the , person who
has been threatened.
White House Confirms
Nixon Got Invitations to
Visit Egypt, Israel
WASHINGTON (JTA) —
The White House confirmed
that Egypt and , Israel had
sent invitations to President
Nixon to visit their countries.
The State Department said
the invitations had been re-
ceived but that it had no
information about any plans
by the President to visit the
Middle East.
Press -reports from Damas-
cus were that Mr. Nixon was
tentatively planning a trip to
the Middle East later this
year. According to one re-
port, President Anwar Sadat
of Egypt said in Cairo that
he had invited Nixon to visit
Egypt.
The report said Nixon also
probably would visit Israel,
Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Condition of Syrian Jews
Linked With Future Pact
JERUSALEM (JTA)—For-
eign Minister Abba Eban
said Wednesday that any
future settlement with Syria
would have to be conditioned
on a prior commitment by
the Syrian government to
cease the persecution of Jews
in that country.
Eban said that such a com-
mitment would have to be
part of any Syrian under-
taking to co-exist peacefully
with Israel.
Eban spoke in the Knesset
in reply to an agenda motion
on Syrian Jews by Likud MK
Geula Cohen. She recalled
that during the Yom Kippur
War Premier Golda Meir had
stated that a settlement with
Syria would have to include
a change in Damascus policy
toward Syrian Jews.
Miss Cohen called for a
more aggressive Israeli pol-
icy on this issue and ques-
tioned the secrecy that sur-
rounds events concernin g
Jews in Syria.
Eban replied that some
things were best kept secret
if secrecy eases the condi-
tions under which Syrian
Jews live. "The fear that
they only serve as a scape-
goat still exists," Eban said.
He said that while most
Jewish prisoners in Syria
have been released, three
who were incarcerated in
September 1971 remain un-
heard from. In addition,
Syrian Jews continue to
stiffer restrictions and in-
dignities.
Eban said they are not
permitted to travel more
than 4 kilomtters from
their homes; are not per-
mitted to leave the country;
are excluded from public
service jobs; and have the
word "Jew" marked in red
ink on their identification
cards.
Referring to the fate of
Iraqi Jews, Eban said most
Jews had left that country,
but 18 Iraqi Jews remain
in prison and have not been
heard from. Eban expressed
appreciation for the efforts
of international bodies on be-
half of Jews in Syria and
Iraq.
UNEF Chief Praises
Israel and Egypt
JERUSALEM (JTA)—The
commander of the UN Emer-
gency Force, Finnish Gen.
Ensio Siilasvuo, said he had
seen "a very definite change
in attitude" on the part of
Israel and Egypt toward each
other during recent weeks.
Reporting to newsmen here
on the completion of the fifth
and last stage of troop dis-
engagement, Siilasvuo said
his contacts with political
and military authorities on
both sides showed him there
was now more confidence
than before—and this augur-
ed well for the future.
The general said he was
"very hapny with the pro-
gress of the disengagement
which had proceeded with no
problems whatsoever" and it
was "very reassuring to see
how both parties had com-
plied with the agreement to
the letter."
He expressed hope the dis-
engagement would be a first
step to peace. Siilasvuo has
been involved in UN peace-
keeping in the Mideast for
nearly two decades, havinv
been a member.. of the 1957
UNEF force.
On Wednesday. UNEF
made its first full-scale in-
spection of the two "limited
forces zones" on either side
of UNEF's own buffer zone.
He said UNEF had carried
out inspections of the various
disengagement stages and
made its reports — and the
parties had no complaints.
He said the full-scale inspec-
tions of the two zones would
be done at regular intervals
— the duration of which he
did not specify. A machinery
would remain for tripartite
Israel -Egypt - UNEF liaison
officers' discussions when
the need arose.
Six years and seven
months of Israeli presence
on the Suez Canal ended late
Sunday as the last Israeli
soldiers departed from the
banks of the waterway to
take un new positions some
14 miles eastward in the
heart of the Sinai desert.
The last Israeli vehicle to
leave the zone was a half-
track carrying three soldiers.
They left behind a bullet-
punctured sign saying "Sha-
lom" in Hebrew, Arabic and
English. Someone added,
"Au Revoir."
Monday morning Egyptian
army units crossed the canal
to take over the evacuated
zone from UNEF and for the
first time since June 1976,
Egypt's red, white and black
flag flew.over the entire 100-
mile jength of the Suez Canal
on both of its banks.
The final phase of disen-
gagement along the Suez was
completed 24 hours ahead of
the timetable set by the ac-
cord Israel and Egypt reach-
ed on Jan. 21.
Israeli officials reported
that the Egyptians have de-
molished all missile sites
built on the east bank of the
canal. The razing operation
was observed by Israeli
forces.
Egyptian forces on the east
bank have given permission
to Israeli officials to continue
to search for the bodies of
missing Israeli soldiers be-
lieved to have been killed in
the areas now under Egyp
tian control.
It was learned Sunday that
Egyptian forces east of the
canal are less than the maxi-
mum allowed by the disen-
gagement accord. This was
not considered to be of mili-
tary significance since the
Egyptians can concentrate
their forces on the west bank
under an umbrella of SAM
missiles, Israeli officials said.
Israeli sources stressed
that. Egypt's reoccupation of
both banks of the Suez Canal
permits Cairo to begin clear-
ing the waterway for naviga-
tion and rehabilitating canal-
side towns and villages for
the return of their civilian
populations.
In the Israeli view, these
operations will further re-
duce the likelihood of re-
newed hostilities.
The new Israeli lines ex-
tend from Baloosa in the
north to a point south of the
Eyun Moussa waterwells on
the west shore of the Sinai
Peninsula fronting the Gulf
of Suez.
The lines run just west of
the Jidi and Mitla passes.
The Israeli and Egyptian
zones are separated by a
buffer zone manned by
UNEF troops.
A Soviet-Egyptian commu-
nique issued Tuesday from
Cairo said the just completed
disengagement should be con-
sidered a first step toward
achieving a total Mideast set-
tlement.
The communique was is-
sued at the close of talks by
Soviet Foreign Minister An-
drei Gromyko with Egyptian
President Anwar Sadat, For-
eign Minister Ismail Fahmi
and Palestinian guerrilla
leader Yassir Arafat, and it
called for the participation of
the USSR and Palestinian
guerrillas in the Geneva
peace talks.
Conservatives Plan
Day School in N.J.
TEANECK, N.J. (JTA) —
The • first all-day school in
Bergen County under Con-
servative auspices, the Solo-
mon Schechter school of Ber-
gen County, will be opened
next September, according to
the Friends of Solomon
Schechter and the board of
the Teaneck Jewish Commun-
ity Center where the school
will be housed initially.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, March 8, 1974-45
Argentina Jewish Leaders Study
Peron Aide's Remarks on Jews
BUENOS AIRES (JTA) —
The DAIA, Argentine Jew-
ry's central agency, hats de-
clared in a statement it is
seeking to determine the
significance of a comment
by Argentine Interior Mini-
ster Jose Lopez Riga on Feb.
19 that signatures of Jewish
officials on Argentine docu-
ments to Libya were not
helpful to Argentine interests
in Libya.
Lopez Riga headed a trade
delegation to Libya, which
negotiated several agree-
ments between the two coun-
tries. He told a meeting of
representatives of the Ar-
gentine Arab community that
he found a "negative atmos-
phere" in Libya which he
attributed to the cablegrams'
from Jewish officials.
The DAIA said it was seek-
ing to determine the most
effective steps to protect the
honor and dignity of\ the Ar-
gentine Jewish community
and its feeling of solidarity
with Israel.
Newspapers in Buenos
Aires indicated that the com-
ment was aimed at Jose Ber
Gelbard, the Argentinian fi-
nance minister who is con-
sidered Lopez Riga's most
powerful foe in the Argen-
tine government.
The welfare minister's
comment has stirred wide-
spread concern in the Jew-
ish community and has been
discussed in the Jewish
press.
In a recent editorial com-
ment, - La Nacion declared
that the future of Gelbard
was uncertain.
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