‘Delicate’ talks ahead on M.E.

Press, 7 March 1978, Page 8

‘Delicate’ talks ahead on M.E.

NZPA-Reuter New York The Israeli Defence Minister (Mr Ezer Weizman) has arrived in the United States for what he has termed delicate and important discussions with top American officials, including President Jimmy Carter. Mr Weizman is in the United States to prepare for the visit next week of the Israeli Prime Minister (Mr [Menachem Begin), who will discuss Israeli differences with the Carter Administration. According to a report in the “New York Times” on Sunday the Carter Administration and the Israeli government are in dispute over American insistence that Israel is required under United Nations Resolution 242 to

withdraw forces to some ex-| tent from all fronts, in-; eluding the West Bank of; [the Jordan and the Gaza Strip. Tne “Times” report added that in the Carter Administration view the Begin government had in effect turned its back on the single United Nations Security Council resolution that had been the basis for most Middle East diplomatic efforts in the last 11 years. Israeli officials in New York to meet Mr Weizman conceded that there were differences along the lines of the “Times” article. Mr Weizman refused to discuss whether he had ordered a freeze on two settlements on the West Bank before leaving Tel Aviv. Mr Weizman will be in'

I Washington until Friday! 'when he will return to New I York to await the arrival of! ' Mr Begin who will be ac- ; companied by the Foreign Minister (Mr Moshe Dayan). Israeli officials conceded it was highly unusual for three top Israeli Government Ministers to be involved in talks in Washington at the samei time, giving added credence to Mr Weizman’s statement that very important issues| are to be discussed. In Cairo, the special’ United States envoy, Alfred! Atherton, is due to meet the; Egyptian Foreign Minister; (Mr Mohammed Ibrahim' Kamel) for talks on narrow-; ing the gap between Egypt! and Israel over a declaration’ of Middle East peace prin-j ciples. Mr Atherton, who post-! poned a planned visit to :

I Saudi Arabia to return to; ! Cairo from Jordan, said on| I arrival’that he also expected; to deliver Mr Begin’s reply j to a personal message from President Anwar Sadat. f The United States Assist-I ant Secretary of State broke! off his meditation shuttle! i between Cairo and Jerusalem three days ago to go toi 'Amman where he apparently; 'failed in his efforts to perIsuade King Hussein to join ’the peace talks. I Mr Atherton was then! ’scheduled to go on to Ri-,-Ivadh. But the United States’ /Embassy in Amman said ;that he postponed his visit (there because some of Saudi’ ’Arabia’s top leaders were ’out o e the country. The embassy said he still! ihoped to go to Riyadh, probably tomorrow. ‘