•f k
Historic Ruling Against 'Linkage': How Ralph Bunche
at Rhodes Enforced Separate Egypt-Israel Agreement
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ -
(Copyright 1978, JTA, Inc.)
"Linkage," emerging as a new obstacle to peace, has been bandied
around without recourse to precedent. This becomes apparent in a re-
capitulation of events that recall the first of the Israel-Arab negotiations
for what was then to result in an armistice, on the Island of Rhodes, on Feb.
24, 1949. The agreement was signed on that day, and it was only between
Egypt and Israel. That's the background which serves as a basis for
Israel's approaches to the tasks for peace that were formulated at Camp
David in mid-September of 1978. Camp David was linked with Rhodes.
The "linkage" appears to be negating both.
's is a time to replace on the record the position that was taken on the
subject by the 1949 spokesman for the United Na-
tons, the late Dr. Ralph Bunche. He was firm and
immovable on the subject of a separate armistice
agreement between Egypt and Israel, and an attempt
to introduce linkage at the Rhodes sessions in 1949
met with adamant rejection from Dr. Bunche.
There has been an erroneous belief that. agree-
ments with all of the Arab nations were negotiated at
the Rhodes conference. The most authoritative per-
son to review what had occurred in 1949 disputes it
with facts. Walter Eytan, who headed the Israel dele-
gation to the Rhodes armistice conference, makes
DR. BUNCHE
this clear with the following explanation of what had
actually occurred:
"All the essentials of the agreement with Jordan CTransjordan'
- as it then was) were negotiated directly with King Abdullah in his
winter palace at Shuneh, and Rhodes saw only its final drafting and
signatures. The agreements with Lebanon and Syria had nothing to
do with Rhodes at all. The first was negotiated and signed at Rosh
Hanikra on the Israel-Lebanese border; the second under a tent
near Mahanaim, in Israel.
"So 'Rhodes' does not necessarily mean a place, but a system — whose
model was set by the armistice agreement between Israel and Egypt."
The Rhodes negotiations were held under the supervision of the United
(Continued on Page 6)
HE JEWISH NEWS
A Weekly Review
of Jewish Events
VOL. LXXIV, No. 12 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075 424-8833
- Nov. 24, 1978
Israel OKs U.S. Proposal,
ejects West Bank Link
JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Israeli government is ready to sign a peace treaty according to
the version brought by Israel's negotiating team at the Washington talks, the Cabinet
decided Tuesday at the end of a five-hour meeting. The meaning of the resolution was that the
government accepted the American draft to the peace treaty, but rejected the latest sugges-
tions made by Egypt regarding the linkage between the Israel-Egyptian agreement and the
future of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
The Cabinet stated that the new Egyptian proposals exceeded the Camp David agreements,
and therefore Israel, did not accept them. The resolution added that Once the agreement with
Egypt was signed and ratified, Israel would be ready to open negotiations on autonomy in the
territories, along the guidelines of the Camp David agreements.
The resolution was approved by 15 ministers with two voting against it — Zevulun
Hammer and Haim Landau.
Israel is asking the U.S. for $3.3 billion to cover her costs in withdrawing from Sinai and
deploying defenses in the Negev. Finance Minister Simha Ehrlich said a third of the sum was
asked as a loan for 20 years at low interest, and the rest as a grant. Israel's financial requests
were the subject of public criticism two weeks ago, when Premier Menahem Begin said Israel
would ask that the entire economic aid package in connection with the withdrawal from Sinai
be in the form of a loan. - -
The army will soon begin removing some equipment and installations from Sinai in
preparation for the first phase of its withdrawal following the signing of a peace treaty.
According to military sources, the withdrawal will be carried out in a way that will ensure
Israel's defensive strength and minimize delays.
The sources indicated that the army will retain its
present strength in Sinai after it withdraws to the
interim line between El Arish on the Mediterranean
and Ras Mouhammed on the Red Sea. The new line will
be held by mobile forces backed up by the two Sinai
A quarter century of service is
airfields and advance warning systems. But once the
recorded in a special Sinai Hospital
army withdraws completely from Sinai, the Negev will
supplement appearing between
become its main training area, the sources said.
Pages 26 and 39 in this issue.
The military zone will extend from Beersheba south-
wards. But sections of the western Negev now used by
•
A report on the annual meeting
the army — near Nitzana, Revivim and Kerem Ab-
1978 Annual Report
of Sinai Hospital
In the photograph at left, the United Nations' Paul Mohn, left,
Israel's Walter Eytan and Moshe Dayan are shown preparing to
leave for the Rhodes conference. AL right, Israeli negotiators Major
Harkabi, Major Simon, Col. Yigael Yadin and Lt. Col. Yitzhak
Rabin are shown at Rhodes.
of Sinai Hospital appears on Page 6.
(Continued on Page 12)
$5,666,000 in 1979 Advance Gifts Plus $3,003,000 UJA Is Honored
uJA-nintxnn rvilmn rraurt
for Project Renewal Begin Allied Campaign
Increased contributions to the regular Allied Jewish Cam- result overwhelmingly outdistanced all previous Campaign
paign funds and sizable added gifts for Project Renewal set a new years, establishing a new precedent of nearly $9,000,000 being
pace in fund-raising when the 1979 drive opened formally Tues- given in a single evening.
day evening at the traditional pre-Campaign meeting held at the
Noteworthy in the impressive response to action was the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel M. Honigman.
eight percent increase in giving towards the regular Allied
The 90 men at the meeting announced gifts of $5,666,000 and Jewish Campaign fund: The gifts of $5,666,000 were in ex-
added to that sum pledges of $3,003,000 towards the newly cess of the $5,217,000 given by the same contributors last
formed Project Renewal as separate pledges for the coming five year.
years.
Handleman, in his opening speech, emphasized the social as-
This response represented a positive approval of the new de- pects of Project'Renewal and urge,d wholehearted giving towards
mands for aid to 300,000 Israeli Sephardim who must be provided a $6,000,000 quota for the extra funds sought here for a five-year
with housing and supplementary health and educational needs. period of action in Israel for the many underprivileged. This
4 ,,, sw
':rMroject Reneral was outlined
appeal was the chief objective in the
4v ,a- .,'.•
mpL..e gathering by the national
address of National Chairman
campaign chairman, former De-
Field. It was emphasized by Selig-
3
h
troiter Irwin Field, chairman of
man and by David Mondry who as-
United Jewish Appeal.
sisted in calling for pledges.
The gathering of initial con-
In his address, former Detroiter
tributors to the Allied Jewish
Field said The ramifications of
Campaign, has become a tradition
this meeting go far beyond the city
at the home of Daniel Honigman,
of Detroit. For many years this
who welcomed the campaigners in
meeting has been the bellweather
behalf of himself and Mrs. Honig-
for the country. It has set the pace
man, with a cheerful note of confi
j
for the rest of the U.S."
t
cence that another great Campaign
Field added that an Israel on the
was being launched by Greater De-
verge of peace has tremendous
troit Jewry.
Shown at Monday's Allied Jewish Campaign commitments. With so much of Is-
The 1979 Campaign chairmen, meeting are, from left, 1979 AJC-IEF Chairman rael's budget devoted to defense, he
David Handleman and Irving David Handleman, United Jewish Appeal Chair- said, the Campaign and Project Re-
Seligman, presided over the pro- man Irwin Field, 1979 AJC-IEF Chairman Irving newal contributions are of tremen-
ceedings and led in announcing Seligman and former AJC-IEF Chairman and host dous importance to the social wel-
pledges for the coming year. The Daniel Honigman.
fare of the Israeli people.
N
The Israeli stamp above cites the 30
years of Israel's statehood and the 40th
anniversary of the United Jewish Apeal,
which will be marked at the annual UJA
conference in December.