PEACE MOVES FAIL

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31880, 7 January 1969, Page 11

PEACE MOVES FAIL

(X.Z.P .4 -Reuter—Copyright) JERUSALEM, Jan. 6

Israel has told the United States and Britain that the latest Soviet proposals for peace in the Middle East cannot be regarded as a basis for discussion. The Foreign Minister (Mr! Abba Eban) reported the Israeli attitude to the Russian proposals—put forward by ! Soviet representatives in Lon-! don and Washington—at a| weekly Cabinet meeting to-! day. Informed sources in London reported on January 2 i that Russia had approached 'the British Government with new ideas on how to steer the Middle East toward a peaceful settlement. Senior United States and Soviet diplomats conferred in Washington on the same day, and President de Gaulle conferred with the Soviet Ambassador in Paris. The ideas, the sources said, did not add up to a specific peace plan as such.

Israel has sent, through [diplomatic channels, a warning to Lebanon to maintain the cease-fire on the IsraeliLebanese border, a Government spokesman in Jerusalem disclosed today. He did not elaborate on how the warning was sent, but informed sources believe it was' trans-

nutted through a third party. 11 The border has been quiet in 11 the last 48 hours, military: sources said today. But it was too early to i judge whether the lull was i significant, the sources said.

Several Arab guerrilla attacks on Israel have been launched from across the Lebanese border after the Israeli commando raid on Beirut Airport on December 28. An Israeli Government spokesman said today that Mr Eban had explained that the Russian proposals demanded

an Israeli withdrawal without the peace of secure bdrders. They did not include actual provision for free navigation, and did not envisage the foundation of Israeli-Arab rela-

itions on a firm, contractual ! basis. I The spokesman said the Russian proposals were obtained by diplomatic exchange in Washington and London. Israeli Government sources

commented today that there was a discrepancy between the Soviet proposals made to the United States and British Governments and the general line adopted by a Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr V. Semoenoy, in talks with Israel’s United Nations representative, Mr J. Tekoah. Israel’s Ambassador to the United States (Mr Yitzhak Rabin), returned to Washington today after a top-level Government discussion of Israeli-American relations.