Israel Expected To Name Negotiator

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32381, 21 August 1970, Page 11

Israel Expected To Name Negotiator

fN.Z.Pjf.-Reeter— Copyright) * TEL AVIV, August 20. Israel has decided to stop holding up the Middle East peace talks after a United States call to cease arguing and start negotiating, but will not ease up on its charges of Egyptian cease-fire violations, observers say.

Observers in Tel Aviv firmly believe that this policy has been agreed upon by Israel’s leaders and that naming of the country’s representative to proposed peace discussions under the United States “stop shooting and start talking” plan is imminent.

Israel, up to now, has put off nominating who will handle its side of the indirect talks with the Arabs because of differences with Washington over the violations issue.

Israel claims the Egyptians, with Soviet help, moved a number of missiles close to the Suez Canal in breach of the 90-day Middle East ceasefire which began on August 8 as a prelude to the proposed talks between Israel. Egypt and Jordan. But Washington yesterday officially said that the Israeli charges could neither be pro ved nor disproved. Hours later a senior Israeli staff officer in Tel Aviv reiterated the missile build-up charges and produced as evidence two sets of photographs—the first showing scanty construction work and the second fully completed and operative missile sites.

The staff officer said that the first batch of photographs was shot on the eve of the cease-fire and the second a week later within the 32-mile tone on the canal covered by the stand dawn.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry at the same time, noted that

the State Department announcement in Washington had said the United States was raising the cease-fire complaints with Moscow. Also favourably noted was Washington’s renewed pledge to see that there was no shift against Israel in the power balance.

In Cairo, President Nasser and King Hussein of Jordan, will meet for the first time since accepting the American peace plan. They intend to map out during the next three days the line they will take in proposed indirect talks with Israel

Informed sources said that the opposition in some Arab capitals and from the power-

tful Palestine commandos to s the plan was another key isi sue sure to figure prominently i in the discussions scheduled 8 to begin immediately after the t Jordanian monarch’s arrival in Cairo this morning. r The importance of the t talks is stressed by the strong - delegation accompanying the i King—the Prime Minister (Mr s Abdel Moneim Alrifai) Crown c Prince Hassan, the Foreign Minister (General Mahsour s Haditha), and the Jordanian 8 Army Chief of Staff. t Another key member of the r king’s team is Mr Suleiman Al-Nabulsi a former Prime r Minister and a known pro- , guerrilla leader.