Gap too wide for unity, Peres tells Begin

Press, 11 June 1977, Page 7

Gap too wide for unity, Peres tells Begin

NZPA-Reuter Tel Aviv The Israeli Labour Party has rejected ;.n offer by the Prime Minister designate, Mr Menachem Begin, to join a national - unity Cabinet headed by the Right-wing Likud Bloc. The Labour Party chairman, Mr Shimon Peres, told reporters after meeting Mr Begin that he had declined because of “very serious differences between the two sides on relations with the United States and negotiations with tne Arab world. But both Mr Peres and Mr Begin said that there was a national consensus on Israeli opposition to the creation of a Palestinian State on the

’ occupied West Bank of then ' Jordan. : The two men also agreed : that their parties would op- l pose a Palestine Liberation i : Organisation presence at ; peace negotiations as well as I a return by Israel to the j ■ boundaries that existed be- | ! fore the six-day war of 1967. i [ Likud continued in i i conclusive coalition negotiai I lions with the Democratic . i Movement for Change. a]i t newly-founded reformist;l - group that holds 15 Knesset!' seats. I; The D.M.C., headed by the;l i archeologist. Professor Yigal ; i Yadin, shares Labour ideas ■ ’ over the West Bank. But it ; ; is believed to want to enter :

the Government to avoid losing its effectiveness in a I Labour-dominated Opposi-j tion. Labour holds 32 seats] in the new Knesset. The two sides announced; that they were setting up al joint committee to try to] hammer out a common; stand on foreign policy and; defence. Mr Peres pledged that Labour would form a loyal Opposition, but said: “We have our own ideas on which is .he better way to keep close relations with the United States and how to proceed with negotiations with Arab countries via 7 the good offices of the United States.”