THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, July 29, 1977 S Begin Standing Firm on Legalized West Bank Settlements (Continued from Page 1) the military base at Kadum not far from the 'Arab city of Nablus. Begin also in- sited that he had resolved with President Carter that their differences over bor- ders, the Palestinians and Jewish settlements "will not bring about a split be- tween our countries. Begin claimed that Jew- ish settlements on the West Bank were not illegal be- r..ause the Knesset had assed an enabling law in - June, 1967. permitting the government, by adminis- trative ordinance, to apply Israeli law to any part of the administered terri- tories. So far, that power has been exercised only in East Jerusalem. Begin claimed that Israel was not an "occupier" in the sense of international law be- cause Jordan, which held the West Bank until 1967 had illegally annexed it in 1949 and had itself violated international law in 1967 by its aggression against Is- rael. Legal observers pointed out, however, that in the U.S. view, the 1967 enabling act itself contravened inter- national law and the same position was -taken by the UN Security Council at the time. - When MK Shulamit Aloni -of the Civil Rights Move- ment interjected from the floor that Israel's Supreme Court has held that Israeli authorities must observe in- ternational law in the ad- ministered territories, Begin retorted, "I am not talking about law, I am talk- ing about substance." He said the decision to le- galize the three settlements was taken by the Min- isterial Settlement Com- mittee headed by Minister of Argiculture Ariel Sharon and that the committee's de- cision would have the same force and validity as a full Cabinet decision since it was empowered to act by the full Cabinet. Begin gave no hint as to whether further Jewish set- tlements were being planned at this time. At a press conference Tuesday, Sharon refused to "confirm or deny" that plans for new settlements would be "de- layed" following Begin's visit to Washington. ences between what he said and the State Department's sharp reaction, the Ohioan replied, "He (Carter) did not make it into a major issue." He added, "I think the President feels optimis- tic that negotiations will be meaningful and will lead to a solution in the Middle East. However, the President later told reporters that he backed the State Depart- ment's condemnation of Is- rael on the - settlements. "The statement that the Secretary of State made speaks for me," Carter said. McGovern said, "The President seemed more opti- mistic" about the progress toward Mideast peace than I did. He feels the Geneva Peace Conference will go forward and that differen- ces can be resolved be- tween Arabs and Israelis. McGovern said the inter- national community wants peace and both sides will have to make concessions to attain it. Tuesday's State Depart- ment announcement ex- pressed "deep dis- appointment," and accord- ing to department spokes- man Hodding Carter, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs Alfred Athe- rton telephoned Israeli Am- bassador Simha Dinitz to convey the department's "disappointment. "We have consistently made clear, including in our recent talks here in Washington, our view that the establishment of settle- ment in the occupied terri- tories is not only contrary to the fourth Geneva Con- vention, but also constitutes an obstacle to the peace- making process," Carter told reporters. According to Carter, the • State Department "has been in touch with the Is- raeli government" which "has informed us it is tak- ing action to give legal status to three existing set- tlements in the West Bank." He confirmed that the question of Israeli settle- ment in the occupied terri- tories was discussed during Begin's U.S. visit last week, but was unable to say whether Begin had in- formed the President of his intention to legalize the set- tlements. --- Although Hodding Carter would not go as far as to say that the effect of the le- galization would be to "en- danger the hope for peace," he voiced the hope that "pri- or to the new round of dis- cussions in , the Middle East there will be no steps to make the search for peace more difficult." He said the U.S. was dis- appointed by the Israeli ac- tion "because it runs con- tray to our long-standing be- lief on what should be done in occupied terriotries." In other developments Hodding Carter would not comment on reports that the U.S. and the Soviet Union were seeking agree- ment on the possibility of stationing United Nations forces along the Israeli- Lebanese border. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, who will be leaving this weekend for a trip to the Middle East, met with Dinitz Tuesday afternoon. On Monday, Vance met with a delegation of Arab Ambassadors to brief them on the President's talks with Begin and Vance's plans for his trip. In Jerusalem, Begin de- nied reports in- Israeli and American newspapers that he had promised President Carter not to establish any settlements on the West Bank or other occupied areas until after Oct. 10, the date Begin has sugges- ted for reconvening the Gen- eva Conference. Speaking to newsmen after he had reported to President Ephraim Katzir on his trip to the United N. N. Weilding - Party—,Bar MitzVa 39T- 0$139 A1.131ZES — 6 To 44 54 SOUTH WOQDWARD (Ni. Maple) BIRMINGHAM t MI 2-4150 'N Daily—Hospital Sympathy FRUIT BASKETS BIG SELECTION! OWN N. N. 3 Times Daily . Nation-Wide Delivery $13.95 RODNICK- McINERNEY'S 779-4140 772-4350 ..... States, Begin denied the re- ports. But he did not specifi- cally say that he would plan new settlements. OMEGA Agency Official George Ohrenstein Jewelers Ltd. Creative Jewelers Diamonds — Precious Stones - Precision Time Pieces HARVARD ROW MALL 353:3146 11 Mile & Lahser " Meanwhile, two U.S. Sena- tors who met with Presi- dent Carter Wednesday said has was optimistic - about prospects for a Middle East settlement and did not consider the Israeli government's legalization of the settlements as a major obstacle to such an agreement. Sens. Howard Metzenbaum (D-Ohio) and George McGovern (D-SD) spoke to reporters after Car- Czechs Erect ter met with a group of Sen- Jewish Memorial ators in a session devoted largely to domestic issues. LONDON—Members of Asked about the West the Czech Union of Anti- Bank settlements, Metzen- Fascist Fighters have baum told reporters: "I erected a memorial at the don't think the President Jewish cemetery of Ben- felt it was an affront or a slap in the face. 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