FBIS Coverage of the Middle East Peace Talks- 1978 September

PPROVE FO RE ASE CIA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS DIVISION AR 70-14 13NOV201
" ~ISRAELi
Peace Now Scores Address
TA022052Y Jerusalem Domestic Service in Hebrew 2000 GMT 2 Sep 78 TA
[Text] The leaders of the Peace Now Movement reacted an hour ago to the prim-; ministerrsspeech and expressed deep disappointment because they claim that Begi: has disregardedthe demand made by the 100,000 participants at the movement's rally by not announcinghis willingness to make concessions in Judaea and Samaria.
The leaders of the Peace Now Movement claim that the prime ministerrs words show thatthere is a serious lack of contact between the cabinet and the nation.
Labor Party Reaction
NC03131 3Y Jerusalem Domestic Service in Hebrew 1200 GMT 3. Sep 78 NC
[Text] The Labor Party has expressed regret over the prime ministerrs remarks last nightin his speech to the nation. These remarks, which the Labor Party terms "demagogic,"concern Mr Begin's accusation that the blame for the internal situation rests on whathe called "the former regime."
The Labor Party's reaction team has published a statement in which it asks the Israelidelegation to Camp David to make supreme efforts and to heed the Israeli citizensr desirefor peace.
Peres, Talmi React
TA031635Y Jerusalem POST in English 3 Sep 78 p 2 TA
-[Text] Labour Party Chairman Shim'on Peres last night reiterated his party's positionthat the Camp David summit could succeed only if the government agreed to apply the prin-ciple of withdrawal entailed in UN Resolution 242 to all sectors, including Judaea andSamaria.
Reacting to Premier Begin's address to the nation, Peres said in a TV interview thatIsrael's opening position needed changes both in content and in formulation.
The government should propose its readiness for territorial compromise on all fronts asone of its opening moves, he said.
Egypt too, has to change its opening position, Peres stressed, and should cease demandingIsraelis return to the 1967 borders.
He believed that such a change was possible.
'Peres held that the Camp David summit was the most important and perhaps most crucialconference Israel ever attended. Its failure would have most serious repercussions.
Although there was a national consensus on some points, there are also serious differencesbetween the government and the opposition, Peres said.
Merir Talmi, MAPAM secretary-general, described the prime ministerrs speech as a disappoint-ment, laced with expressions of good will but failing to come to grips with the essentials.Begin had failed to provide an adequate response to the tens of thousands of peace demon-strators who had turned out in Tel Aviv last night, he said. His remarks on social issueswere also disappointing, Talmi added.