THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, December 18, 1981 11
France Sidesteps on Cheysson's Jerusalem Remarks
PARIS
(JTA)
President Francois Mitter-
rand defined France's dual
policy in the Middle East
last week calling for the
recognition of Israel and the
menas to defend itself but
also recognition of the
Palestinians and their right
to a homeland with, even-
tually, state structures.
Interviewed on televi-
sion, Mitterrand acknowl-
edged that "we risk (by this
policy) being misunderstood
by both sides. But there is
also a good chance that both
. sides will understand us
and approve France's posi-
tion," he said.
The French President
who is scheduled to go to Is-
rael Feb. 10 — the first
French head of state to visit
that country — declared, "I
shall say in Jerusalem what
I have said in Riyadh," a
reference to his recent trip
to Saudi Arabia. "The main
thing is that France now in-
variably says the same" to
all parties.
This was seen as mean-
ing that during his forth-
coming visit to Israel he
will press for Palestinian
self-determination, as he
did in Amman, Algiers
and Riyadh, but will also
uphold Israel's right to
independence and secu-
rity.
In his interview, Mitter-
rand said, "Israel has the
right to exist . . . One cannot
refuse it the means to that
existence. It needs security,
secure frontiers. Its rights
have to be recognized. But
in the same way, I will say
to my Israeli friends: You
must recognize the right to
existence of the Palestinian
people."
Mitterrand said the na-
ture of a Palestinian home-
land was a matter to be de-
termined by negotiations
between the , parties con-
cerned and France is not a
negotiator. He observed,
however, "How can you,
without falling into illusion
and lies say that there could
be a Palestinian homeland
but with the Palestinians
forbidden to create and de-
fend the state structure of
their choice?"
Meanwhile,
FrOeign
Minister Calude Cheysson
backed away from some of
his pro-Israeli statements
and said that certain of his
declarations, made in
Jerusalem last week, had
been "badly interpreted"
and do not accurately reflect
French policy in the Middle
East.
Cheysson played down
his earlier pro-Israeli
statements after several
Arab states protested
against the change in
France's policy and indi-
rectly warned that their
traditional friendship
with France was now at
stake.
The French government
was also impressed by the
violent reaction of most of
its European partners.
Britain's Foreign Secretary
Lord Carrington and the
Dutch and Belgian Foreign
Ministers all voiced their
protests against what they
termed France's unilateral
change of position without
prior consultation with its
European Economic Com-
munity (EEC) partners.
French newspapers re-
ported that Cheysson was
taken to task by both Car-
rington and West German
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FRANCOIS MITTERRAND
Foreign Minister Hans
Dietrich Genscher with
whom he met in Brussels.
Both claimed that France
cannot speak on Europe's
behalf or make any com-
mitments on its own.
Speaking at a press con-
ference in Brussels, Cheys-
son said that the Venice dec-
laration of June, 1980, is
still valid "and fits us per-
fectly." Toning down his
Jerusalem-made promise
that there would be no more
European initiatives in the
Mideast, the Foreign Minis-
ter said the misunderstand-
ing arose from "unclear
terminology." According to
him, the Venice declaration
"is not an initiative" and
thus remains valid.
Cheysson said the Venice
declaration, which calls for
the Palestine Liberation
Organization to be associ-
ated with the Mideast peace
process, "is no longer
timely. It has been over-
taken in the meantime." He
explained that the ac-
ceptance by France, Brit-
ain, Italy and The Nether-
lands to participate in the
Sinai peacekeeping force
after Israel withdraws from
the area next April "takes
us much further than the
Venice declaration."
Government officials in
Paris went even further
than Cheysson in playing
down France's pledges
Baptist President Bailey Smith
Concludes Nine-Day Israel Visit
NEW YORK — Southern
Baptist Convention
President Bailey E. Smith
left Israel last week after a
nine-day visit which in-
cluded discussions with Is-
raeli President Yitzhak
Navon, Interior Minister
Yosef Burg, former \Prime
L.A.-Tel Aviv
Charter Flights
Begin in April
TEL AVIV (JTA) — The
Board of Directors of El Al
has approved an agreement
with a large travel agency
in California to operate
weekly charter flights be-
tween Los Angeles and Tel
Aviv.
El Al will operate 30
flights, once a week, begin-
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the longest distance flight
operated by the airline. It is
not yet clear whether the
flight will include a
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the first 30 flights El Al will
consider whether to estab-
lish this route on a regular
basis or merely add one
more weekly flight.
Yitzhak Shender, direc-
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California has a large
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munity there. At the peak of
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Cultural Tour
of Israel Set
The Israel Information
and Resource Center and
the Cultural Arts Depart-
ment of the Jewish Com-
munity Center are sponsor-
ing a cultural arts tour of
Israel March 22-April 1.
Art, music, dance and
archeology will be highligh-
ted. Deposits are required
by Jan. 7.
For information, call
Shelly Komer Jackier at the
Israel information and Re-
source Center, 661-1948.
Minister Yitzhak Rabin and
other officials.
Rev. Smith created a stir
last year with the statement
that "God Almighty does
not hear the prayer of a
Jew." Rev. Smith has
apologized since making the
controversial statement
and no Israeli official chal-
lenged him over the remark
during his visit.
The Baptist leader did not
meet with Prime Minister
Menahem Begin, who had
agreed to see him, but was
then hsopitalized after fal-
ling and breaking his thigh.
and commitments. Some
said the minister's dec-
larations in Israel "were
misunderstood." Others
tried to interpret them in
a less binding manner.
Diplomatic circles favor-
able to Israel are nonethe-
less optimistic, feeling that
the government's lower
echelons were still trying to
block or slow down the
President's policy.
Israeli sources believe
that before Mitterrand ar-
rives, the French stand will
have been clarified at a high
diplomatic level. "By mid-
January, we shall know
exactly what the French
position is and how it in-
volves Europe" an Israeli
source said.
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