Israeli P.M. on U.S. visit

Press, 10 November 1980, Page 8

Israeli P.M. on U.S. visit

NZPA-Reuter Tel Aviv

The Israeli Prime Minister (Mr Menachem Begin) left yesterday for the United States on a private visit and said it was unlikely that he would meet President-elect Ronald Reagan. “I’d like to meet Mr Reagan, but I think he was right when he said it was a delicate matter before he assumed his duties next January,” Mr Begin said. He will attend a rally commemorating the centenary of the birth of Jabotinsky, the founder of his Herat Party. Mr Begin said that when he planned this visit several months ago he had been invited to see President Carter, and this meeting would take place in Washington on Thursday: He said he did not know whether a planned summit meeting between Mr Carter, the Egyptian President (Mr Anwar Sadat) and himself would now take place.

“It is possible that it may be postponed until after President (elect) Reagan takes office, but I’ll know more after I see President Carter,” Mr Begin said. Mr Begin said he expected the negotiations between Israel and Egypt on Palestin-

ian autonomy to resume as scheduled November 17. Asked whether he foresaw any changes in American Middle East policy in the wake of the elections, Mr Begin said he hoped that everything that was promised during the election campaign would be fulfilled. “Mr Reagan’s statement that the Palestine Liberation Organisation is a terrorist organisation was a good statement”