FBIS Coverage of the Middle East Peace Talks- 1978 September

PPROVED FOR RELEASE IA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS DIVISION AR 70-14 13NOV201
V. 5 Sep 78 ' N 10 ISRAEL '
We do not control Egypt, nor do we control the United States. We, the Isk'ae'is, caninfluence and control Israel. In my opinion, .the first problem is us, and I say thatin order to achieve peace it is necessary to draw new borders, which are not the 1967borders, and which will allow us to remain in the Jordan River Valley and insure thedemilitarization of the West Bank so that if a war should break out, it will break outat the Jordan River and not along the old border. We are prepared to have such new bor-ders for the sake of peace. This depends on us.
This does not mean that we do not have demands of Egypt and the United States or that
we have nothing we do not hold against them. However, to direct all the arrows only
toward them and hide the fact that there is no change for the better in their lack of
forward movement and their lack of consideration, this is simply tPl'rowing sand in the
eyes. The first question over which we have control, and the only one on which the
cabinet has 100 percent control, is our own position. I repeat, as long as the cabinet
says that we are not prepared to transfer Nabulus and Tubas and so on to any foreign
sovereignty, as long as this is the stance, putting the blame on Egypt and the United
States and other elements will not help. I see in this something Israel can'use to open
the road to the continuation of the negotiations.
[Qital] Gentlemen, we...
[Bar-Lev] As for Egypt, if you will allow me, obviously Egypt, if it adheres to its
public stance, that is, demanding a total withdrawal, then there will not be any arrange-
ment, because we, the Israelis--I believe close to 100 percent of the Israelis--are not
prepared to return to the 1967 borders. However, before we sweep someone else's house,
let us organize our own.
[Qital] Gentlemen, we are talking about a comprehensive arrangement, about what Israel
and what Egypt must do when a peace treaty is signed, when there is an arrangement on
all fronts. Let us deal with several concrete questions which are less than a peace
arrangement and which may crop up during the Camp David summit, such as a substitute for
a peace arrangement, or a step toward a peace arrangement--what is called a permanent
partial arrangement. What is your opinion, Professor Arens?
[Arens] I would suggest, especially in view of what has been said now by Hayyim Bar-Lev
and things that are being said through 'the Egyptian propaganda channels, that the Camp
David agenda--after the Lebanon issue, and I hope that this is indeed the first subject,so as to insure that an end is put to the massacre that the Syrian Army is carrying out
there...
[Qital] The foreign minister yesterday promised that indeed there will be.talks with
the United States at the highest level.
[Arensj Yes, I hope this is true and I think it will be very interesting to hear what
President as-Sadat's position is with respect to what is happening in Lebanon. However,immediately after it, I would suggest discussing the Sinai issue, because it constitutes
the real test of As-Sadat's willingness to understand our problem and to reach an arrange-
ment with us,
[Qital) To put the Sinai issue -n the table separately before they get down to the dis-
cussion about Judaea and Samaria?