6 Friday, October 23, 1981 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Purely Commentary Dayan Legacy (Continued from Page 2) not made to feel like the accused in a court of law facing the prosecuting attorney. President Car- ter. however, and even more so Mondale, launched charge after charge against Israel. This took place at the private meeting between the President, the Vice President and myself. On our arrival at the White House, Carter said he wanted a few words with me alone before starting the general discussion, and so Vance and his aides, together with my aides, adjourned to the conference room to wait for us, while Carter took Mondale and me to his study. Carter first asked me about a certain defense matter. My reply did not satisfy him and he said he would take it up with Premier Begin. He then turned to the subject of Israeli settle- ments in the occupied territories, speaking in lan- guage that was sharp both in content and tone, and making no effort to mask his anger. He said he had himself seen and heard one of our minis- ters say on television that we intended to settle hundreds of thousands on territory beyond our pre-June 1967 borders. He charged us with taking action and making statements that were liable to prevent the Palestinian Arabs from joining the peace talks. I replied that there never was and never could be a government in Israel that would fail to establish Israeli settlements in the ter- ritories. But the President continued with his ac- cusations: 'You are more stubborn than the Arabs, and you put obstacles on the path to peace What I resented most was the part played by Vice President Mondale, who at other times and on other occasions had been helpful. Now, how- ever, whenever the President showed signs of calming down and holding an even-tempered dialogue, Mondale jumped in with fresh com- plaints which disrupted the talk. I was disgusted. I just let him say his piece and make his allega- tions, and when he wound down I remained silent. They both stared at me. but I said nothing. The President broke the lull by asking what I proposed. I said that the government of Israel would not stop settlement in the territories, but, if he wished, I was prepared to suggest to Begin that the six additional settlements we planned to es- tablish in the near future would be carried out within the framework of military camps. The HURTIG WINDOW INTERIORS NOW AT 24725 Coolidge Hwy., South of 10 Mile Up To 5U Tel: 541-3640 ON CUSTOM MADE / 0 OFF WINDOW COVERINGS Louverdrape & Graber Verticals Flexalum & Bali 1 - Blinds-Laminated Verticals Drapes Shades settlers would be mobilized, or they could be con- sidered civilians working for the army, and their families would be permitted to live with them in the camp. We had done that at Kiryat Arba, the suburb of Hebron, in the first stage of its estab- lishment. The President reflected a few moments and then agreed. It was not what he had wished, he said, but it was at least a second best. I re- peated that this was my personal suggestion, and I did not know if my government would approve it. Though Carter spoke in a dull monotone, there was fury in his cold bltre eyes, and his glance was dagger-sharp. His portrayal of our position was basically correct, but it could not have been ex- pressed in a more hostile form. Why did Dayan resign? It was evident that the leader- ship accorded to Dr. Yosef Burg in preference to Dayan the foreign minister did not go well with him. He therefore tendered his resignation. He left Begin on good terms. The explanation of the resignation is worth indicating. As Dayan explains it: - It was no secret, I wrote to the Prime Minister, that I disagreed with the manner in which we were conducting the autonomy negotiations, as well as with our policy line. The same was true of some of our actions in the territories. There was no need for me to go into details. I had objected to the Committee of Six which was entrusted with the negotistions ( and I had seen no point in par- ticipating). And regrettably I had had to vote against some of the fundamental Cabinet deci- sions: the expropriation of 'rocky land,' the estab- lishment of the Elon Moreh settlement, and the 'clarifications of Israel's position on the suggested principles for autonomy ar- rangements.' When the autonomy negotiations began, I con- sidered the possibility that I might be wrong, and that my assumption of the sterility of the negotia- tions in their current form would prove false. They had been going on now for four months, and to my sorrow I felt they were largely fruitless. But whether I was right or wrong, this was my view, and it prevented me from taking part in them. In such a situation, a foreign minister could not ful- fill his function since he would be dealing with marginal matters and not with a central issue. It was therefore my intention to tender my re- sidnation from the government — after discharg- ing certain prior commitments (including official visits to Strasbourg and Mexico) — about the middle of December. If, of course, the Prime Minister wished to advance this date, I would re- sign at any time he decided. I signed the letter 'In great friendship and deep appreciation.' We had a final talk on this subject a week later. It was brief, as I told Begin that I had nothing to add to what he already knew. I could put it all in one sentence: The things that interested me, I did • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • OO O OOO ***** • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Dec. 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The winner in each of the competition's two cate- gories — books written for children at the elementary and secondary school levels and those directed at par- ents, educators and the helping professions — will be awarded $1,000 and a medallion of Janusz Korczak and his children. For information on the --eompetition, contact the ADL, 823 United Nations Plaza, New York, N.Y., 10017. not handle; and what I dealt with held no interest for me. I had not entered his government in order _ to meet ambassadors and attend diplomatic cocktail parties.-The main subject that interested me was the pattern of co-existence with the Arabs. I reminded him that I had once suggested res- igning from the Foreign Ministry and serving as his assistant in charge of this area, even without Cabinet rank. But this matter was now being con- ducted quite differently — with the Interior Minister, Dr. Burg, handling a central policy is- aue„and the Foreign Minister inactive. This was patently absurd, on any objective rating. I was well awnre-of the circumstances which had led to the apointment of Dr. Burg, leader of the National Religious Party, to head the Israeli team in the autonomy negotiations. Neither Be- gin's Likud nor Burg's Religious Party had been enamored of the way in which I had conducted talks during the peace negotiations with Egypt. The truth was that this government did not hav