Advertisement

Hussein, Khalid to Meet Vance; PLO, Syria Denounce Summit

President Carter announced last night King Hussein of Jordan and King Khalid of Saudi Arabia have agreed to receive Secretary of State Cyrus Vance in meetings which may lead to their participation in upcoming Middle East negotiations.

In a nationally-televised news conference last night before a joint session of Congress, Carter said Vance will leave today to meet with the Arab leaders.

Carter's warm reception before Congress contrasted with earlier reactions to the summit results. The Palestine Liberation Organiza and Libya denounced the Camp David agreements, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed I. Kamel resigned protest Egyptian concessions.

Ovations

Carter, acknowledging a series of standing ovations, repeatedly praised Prime Minister Menachem Begin and President Anwar Sadat, and reviewed the contents of the two "framework" agreements approved by the summit.

Carter said, "It has been more than 2000 years since there was peace between Egypt and a free Israeli nation. If our expectations are realized, this year we shall see such a peace again."

Advertisement

Carter outlined four issues he believes the Camp David summitt addressed and defined: the nature of a Middle East peace; mutual security for the region; "secure and recognized boundaries" including the Israeli settlements; and the fate of the Palestinians.

Even before Carter's address to Congress, events in Israel highlighted some of the unresolved issues in the agreement.

Begin Interprets

Begin told Israeli reporters Sunday night Israel does not consider itself bound to completely stop the establishment of further settlements on the West Bank. Begin added Israel intends to maintain a military presence on the West Bank even after the five-year transition toward Palestinian autonomy in the region agreed to in the Camp David summit.

A senior American official, who asked to remain unidentified, said the agreement itself would allow 6000 Israeli soldiers to remain on the West Bank, though the soldiers would have to be stationed away from population centers.

The official added the terms of the agreement prohibit Israel from establishing any new settlements for at least five years, but do not state whether Israel can build up new settlements after that time period.

The Israeli Knesset, or parliament, must vote within the next two weeks on whether to allow the settlements to be a negotiable issue in the treaty discussions between Israel and Egypt scheduled to take place within three months.

The Knesset also must discuss whether Israel would consider withdrawing from the Sinai settlements.

The summit agreements state that Palestinian Arabs living on the West Bank and Gaza will gradually have "self-governing authority." They will be allowed to participate in negotiations to determine the final status of the territory, and will be able to ratify or reject a final agreement. In addition, Israel formally recognizes the "legitimate rights" of the Palestinians in the summit agreements.

However, the summit framework does not provide for a Palestinian state on the West Bank and Gaza, a major goal of the PLO and many other Palestinains.

The agreement received warm endorsement in the United States from Congressmen of both parties. Thomas P. O'Neill (D-Mass.), Speaker of the House, said yesterday, "I think it's a tremendous achievement, locking those two fellas up like that and trying to hammer out something."

O'Neill added, "I'd be surprised if his [Carter's] image doesn't take off and go up 20 to 25 points."

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the majority leader of the Senate, said Carter deserves the credit for "one of the most significant achievements in modern diplomatic history."

Carter, Begin and Sadat reached an agreement on the basic principles for a peace settlement late Sunday night. The framework includes provisions for a five-year transition period in which Israel would withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza.

Sadat and Begin also agreed to negotiate a peace treaty within the next three months, providing for Israeli military withdrawl from the Sinai, full exercise of Egyptian sovereignty there, and the establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Israel. The Sinai provisions also include the return of Sinai airfields to Egyptian civilian control.

Adminstration officials emphasized on Sunday that the documents were not a completed set of agreements, but rather a "framework for continuing negotiations."

Recommended Articles

Advertisement