Israel spurns plea to hall settlements

Press, 27 March 1980, Page 9

Israel spurns plea to hall settlements

NZPA-Reuter Jerusalem Israel has rejected a fresh' American appeal to freeze! el! Jewish settlement on occupied Arab land during negotiations for Palestinian autonomy, the United States: special envoy in the Middle East. Sol Linowitz, has disclosed. The rejection came to! light while most of the oc-i tupjed West Bank was' gripped by a commercial strike in protest at the Is-j raeli Government’s decision; to establish a .'ewish pres-' ence in the Arab city of Hebron. Arab markets in East Jerusalem and elsewhere closed down and public transport largely "topped. l The Mayor of Hebron (Mr Fuad Kawasma) called on Arab residents to refuse all trade with Jewish settlers at nearby Kiryat Arba, largest Israeli - settlement on the West Bank. Mr Linowitz told a press! conference he had brought up the question of a settle-1 ment freeze during his talks I this week with the Prime) Minister (Mr Menachem! ■Begin). Asked if it would be: accurate to say he had asked, Mr Begin for" a freeze and! been refused, Mr Linowitz,' replied: I “It would be inaccurate to say we have not yet re-1 solved the issue anti that’s i one I would like to keep in’ abeyance for the present.’’ Israeli, sources said Mr

Begin flatly turned down an appeal by Mr Linowitz to stop all settlement at least until May 26. This is the target date for agreement between Israel, Egypt, and the United States on autonomy for the 1,200,000 Palestinians in the West Bank land Gaza. • In his talks in Israel Mr (Linowitz has been.seeking to i prepare for the next round of autonomy talks starling in Alexandria today, and for i the separate meetings Presi- ' dent Jimmy Carter will hold : i.’ .Washington next month with Mr Begin and President ■Anwar Sadat. After the press conference 'Mr Linowitz hurried off to his third meeting of the • w-°ek with Mr Begin. It last-

ed an hour and a half after which Mr Linowitz confined himself to saying the discussion had been frank and fruitful. He then left for Cairo to meet President Sadat. Mr Begin declined to tell [reporters about his talks. 'Asked about settlements, Mr [Begin replied: “Our attitude I towards settlement in this [land by Jews is well [known.” ■ During the press confer'ence Mr Linowitz adeed his i voice to the international [chorus of condemnation that [greeted last Sunday’s Israeli |Cabinet decision to set up a Jewish religious academy and a field school inside Hebron close to the crowded Arab market area. i “The decision was a disturbing one,” Mr Linowitz 'said. '‘As a negotiator I felt cause for concern.” Meanwhile, in Washington, a Congressional committee has voted to increase • military aid to Israel by ; 8200 million and; provide ieconomic aid on more genierotts terms.

The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Corm mittee took the action as it worked on a foreign aid bill for the. financial year starting October 1. The Administration had asked for $l2OO million in military sales credits for Israel, but the committee. increased this to $l4OO million of which $5OO million need not be repaid. • .