U.S. hopes to get along better with Arens

Press, 17 February 1983, Page 8

U.S. hopes to get along better with Arens

NZPA Washington American officials appeared to be more hopeful than their Israeli counterparts yesterday over prospects for warmer U.S.-Israeli relations after the naming of Moshe Arens as Israel's Defence Minister. American officials refused to comment on the often hostile relations between the United States Defence Secretary, Mr Caspar Weinberger, and Ariel Sharon, who resigned as Israeli defence chief this week. But they emphasised that Mr Weinberger had developed close personal and professional ties with Mr Arens, Israel’s envoy to Washington. “They get along very well," one official said of the two men, who met privately

at the Pentagon yesterday. "Both are very ,tough in their positions."

He said that that relationship could bring "more substantive communications" between the two defence ministers and their governments. assuming the Arens nomination was approved by the Israeli Knesset (Parliament). But Israeli officials in Washington, while not openly disagreeing, emphasised that as far as controversial Israeli policies on Lebanon and other issues were concerned. personnel changes would make little or no difference.

They said that policies were set by the Prime Minister, Mr Menachem Begin,

and his Cabinet, not by Mr Sharon, who was forced to resign over the massacre of Palestinians by Christian Falangists in Beirut last year. The Israeli officials refused to speculate on what impact Mr Arens' nomination might have on their Government's ties with the Reagan Administration. But one cautioned against "too high expectations."

American officials hold Mr Sharon largely responsible for Israel's policies since it invaded Lebanon in June, including the tough conditions it has set for withdrawing its forces and the series of confrontations between Israeli and American troops patrolling around Beirut.