Israel pressed to resist U.S. demands

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33883, 1 July 1975, Page 17

Israel pressed to resist U.S. demands

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter— Copyrtpht? JERUSALEM, June 3(1. The Israeli Prime Minister (Mr Yitzhak Rabin) today will hold further talks with the Opposition leader, Mr Menachem Begin, who yesterday said that Israel must not surrender to Egyptian demands for further Israeli withdrawals in Sinai for lhe sake of a peace settlement.

Mr Begin, leader of the, I right-of-centre Likud party, l :said after a meeting with the i Prime Minister that such a | "surrender” would endanger Israel’s security. He argued that earlier concessions offered by Israel after the original dis-j engagement agreement last 1 year only hardened Cairo’s i attitude. The United States is re-i ported to be putting heavy pressure on Israel to accept l President Anwar Sadat’s de-1 mands for a complete pull-' back from the strategic Mitia

and Giddi Passes, which I dominate the approaches to the Suez Cabal. The Government is not expected to make any quick decisions and there have been. angry reactions to what are' considered strong arm tac-i tics by the Americans—who; supply Israel with vital military and economic aid. I, In Washington, N.Z.P.A.-I 'Reuter says that Israeli and ( I Egyptian positions on a 1 I Middle East interim agreement are still far apart. But the fact that negotiations were still continuing indicated a new agreement was possible, diplomatic | sources added. i They said that the Israeli Ambassador (Mr Simcha | 1 Dinitz) would return to Jerusalem on Thursday or Friday to discuss latest ) peace moves. His Government , is debating the crucial ques- . tion of how much territory j can be handed back to , Egypt. In recent exchanges be- < tween Egypt and Israel , through the United States,!! Israel is believed to have ; offered to pull back its , troops in the Sinai Desert t to a north-south lineji straddling the Giddi andj Mitla Passes, turning south-ii

! I west below the passes to the J Red Sea. ii Before leaving for Israel, i|Mr Dinitz is expected to hold further talks with Dr Kissinger and the Under-Secretary • of State (Mr Joseph Sisco). I The exchange between •Israel and Egypt comes as Ford's Administra- >! tion nears the end of its long (Middle East policy reassess■iment. ordered after the • March break-down of Dr KisII singer’s diplomacy.