International Egypt rebuffs Begin approach: 'Nothing but repetition'

Press, 26 July 1978, Page 8

International Egypt rebuffs Begin approach: 'Nothing but repetition'

i JZPA-Reuter Cairo Egypt has refused to accept a message from the Israeli Prime Minister (Mr Menachem Begin) because it contains no new proposals for Middle-East peace talks, the semi-official newspaper, “Al-Ahram” said yesterday.

In Jerusalem, the Israeli Opposition Labour Party has announced it will seek a vote of no confidence in Mr Begin’s Government after a stormy debate on MiddleEast peace policy. The “Al-Ahram” report followed statements by Egyptian officials that talks between leaders of the two countries could not be resumed until Israel altered its policy.

“Al-Ahram” said the message to President Anwar Sadat, which was received on Sunday evening, had been rejected because it contained nothing but a repetition of Israel’s position. Mr Begin nad announced after a Cabinet meeting on Sunday that he would send Mr Sadat a proposal for further meetings between the two sides. Mr Sadat has summoned his National Security Council to meet today to discuss the latest developments and to prepare for the forthcoming

visit by the American Secretary of State (Mr Cyrus Vance) the “Al-Gomhouria” newspaper said. Mr Sadat said in a speech on Saturday that Egypt was ready to provide Israel with security guarantees, but was not prepared to give up sovereignty over Arab territories now occupied by Israel. “If Israel wants peace there is nothing to block it,” Mr Sadat said. “The only obstruction to peace is Begin himself. He wants peace and land.”

A former Israeli Foreign Minister, Yigal Alton, has called on Mr Begin to resign and hold new elections, saying that the Prime Minister no longer has the support of the majority of the people. Mr Begin in his summing up of the Knesset debate on peace policy said that if efforts to reach formal peace treaties with the Arabs failed, Israel would be willing to settle for normal friendly relations with its neighbours. The House supported his

Middle-East policy by 68 votes to 37. Israeli officials said that in spite of negative noises from Cairo they were cautiously optimistic that a meeting between Israeli and Egyptian leaders would take place within the next two weeks, probably in the camp of a United States early-warning station in the demilitarised zone of Sinai.

The Labour motion of no confidence, which posed no immediate threat to Mr Begin’s Parliamentary majority, accused the Government of doing everything to sabotage the achievements of the Vienna Document drawn up by the Austrian Chancellor (Mr Bruno Kreisky) and the former West German Chancellor, Willy Brandt. Mr Begin has told reporters there was no crisis over the resignation of Mr Yigael Horowitz, the Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism, but said he would try to persuade him to stay in the Government.