Ties with U.S. unharmed, says Shamir

Press, 24 March 1988, Page 10

Ties with U.S. unharmed, says Shamir

NZPA-Reu er j • Tel Aviv ' : iH■ . ‘ ■ I ’ n . j 4■' . . : j ■! I The Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Shamii*, has returned trom Washington convinced that Israel will continue to enjoy United States backing despite its handling of an Arab uprising in occupied areas and a dispute over Middle East peace (moves. ( ip , | I J' ’■ i ■

I Mr Shamir received a hero’s : iwelcorpe in l Jerusalem! from 2500 Right-wing supporters: fwho praised hin for refusing to abcept an Ameri-! can plan that cal s for the return of the occupied West Bank and I Gaza Strip in exchange for peace. | The Defence Minister, Yitzhak Rabinl told | a Parliamentary c immittee that the Army was holding morel [than 3003 Palestinians' suspected Of inciting the uprising now 14 weeks old, in which at least 103 Arabs hive died. Mr Shamir told reporters at Tel \viv airports “President Reagan and I Secretary of State George Shultz emphasised that even though there are differences between us regarding the path I to peace, specifically on the

subject of an international conference, the framework of the friendship and the co-operation will continue in all ways.” Mr [ Shamir said I he learned during his [eightday that the majority of American Jews Backed Israeli efforts to quell the uprising, i ! i ’ “It became clear that the stpries that American Jews are [divided are not true. Except for isolated, irregular [voices that; do not identify with the majority of the people, all American Jewry [stands with us,” he told the welcomed iii Jerusalem. The | crowds sang, danced and waved banned urging him to “expel ' 1000 stonethrowers and inciters?’ Mr Shamir, who refused demands from the Labour

Party of the Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres, to hold a Cabinet vote bn the United States peace plan before his departure, promised a decision very soon? [ |[ The 10-man Inner Cabinet, divided evenly between Labour and Mr Shamir’s Right-wing Likud bloc, was due to meet yesterday to discuss the Prime Minister’s yisit to I Washington. I [; '■ “The Government will discuss it and decide together how and what to decide,” Mr Shamir said, insisting the Reagan Administration put no pressure on him to accept the United States initiative. “No man dared to force upon me restrictions that ; lovers of; the' land of Israel could not accept,’’ he said. I ' !;■['.