Mrs Meir to stay

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33448, 1 February 1974, Page 17

Mrs Meir to stay

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) JERUSALEM, January 31.

A month after the Israeli General Election, Mrs Meir has formally accepted President Katzir's request to form a new Government, and has 21 days in which to do so.

She told reporters yesterday: “In truth, I would have been happier to be released of this responsibility because, as we all know, I am not growing any younger.’ (She is 75.) “I am fully aware of the responsibility weighing on anybody holding this post in the next few years, even in the next few months. But, perhaps for the first time ever, we are making the first step towards peace.” Mrs Meir’s Labour Party has 51 of the 120 seats in Parliament, and will, therefore, have to rely on partners to form a coalition.

Parliamentary sources generally expect a grouping similar to that of the previous Administration: a combination of Labour with the National Religious Party and the Independent Liberals. Addressing a meeting of the Jewish Agency’s executive committee, Mrs Meir made it clear that Israel had no intention of holding on to the Syrian territory captured in the war of last October, and was interested in a

disengagement - of - forces agreement with the Syrians. The Israeli leader repeated, however, that Israel would agree to negotiate only after the Syrians had handed

over lists of the Israeli pri-soners-of-war they hold, and allowed International Red Cross representatives to visit them.

“We presume that the United States Secretary of State (Dr Kissinger) and the Soviet Union Government have asked the Syrians to hand over the lists, but without avail,” she added. Mrs Meir noted that Israel held about 350 Syrian prisoners, about whom, she said, President Assad did not seem to care.

The Israeli leader emphasised that Israel would not hold any negotiations with Arab terrorist organisations, and would not agree to their representation at the Geneva peace talks. “Their leaders have made it clear beyond any doubt that they are not interested in territorial issues, but only in expelling all Jews from the land of Israel, and ending the Jewish State,” Mrs Meir said. She added that the Geneva conference was open only to the parties to the conflict, the two super-Powers, and other States of the Middle East. This was a reference to suggestions by other European countries, especially France and Britain, that they should be present. Mrs Meir said that Israel had no information about interest by the Soviet Union in renewing diplomatic relations with Israel.

Future of Suez Egyptian Ministers yesterday took stock of the ruined city of Suez, assessing how to set about rebuilding it. The whole Cabinet will meet there next month to discuss the rehabilitation of refugees and the reconstruction and development of the city. Ravaged by two wars, the city was never captured by the Israelis, but they did hold some blocks of buildings on the outskirts.

Ambitious plans for the city’s redevelopment have been drawn up by the Egyptian Minister of Reconstruction (Mr Osman Ahmed Osman), including a scheme for a tunnel under the canal, liking it with Port Tawfiq.