SOVIET EMISSARIES SAID TO MENTION RESUMED TIES WITH USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-157-5-20-0
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: July 30, 2010
• Sequence Number: 20
• Publication Date: April 14, 1975
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

FBIS 24
:..~.~ No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/07/30: LOC-HAK-157-5-20-0
TA142140 TEL AVIV HA'AREZ IN HEBREW 14 APR 75 P 1 TA
(BY HA'AREZ POLITICAL REPORTER MAT I GOLAN)
(TEXT) IN THE SECRET TALKS WITH THE PRIME
MINISTER, THE FOREIGN MINISTER AND THE DEFENSE MINISTER ABOUT -~
2 WEEKS AGO, THE SOVIET EMISSARIES RAISED THE POSSIBILITY
OF THE RESUMPTION ISRAELI SOVIET RELATIONS EVEN BEFORE AN OVERALL OR
ANY OTHER AGREEMENT IS REACHED IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
INSTEAD OF THE FORMULA OF THE RESUMPT ION OF RELAT IONS AFTER
A SETTLEMENT, WHICH WAS THE OFFICIAL POSITION OF MOSCOW,
THE SOVIET EMISSARIES USED THE FORMULA OF RESUMPTION OF
REL-AT IONS WHEN IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT THERE IS SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS
TOWARD A SETTLEMENT. IT WAS UNDERSTOOD FROM THE EMISSARIES
THAT IN MOSCOW'S OPINION SUCH PROGRESS IS NOT LINKED TO ANY
FRAMEWORK, AND IT CAN TAKE PLACE IN GENEVA OR BEFORE IT THROUGH
CONTACT.S., _S-1.MILAR TO THOSE HELD ABOUT 2- WEEKS AGO.
JERUSALEM TAKES A CAUTIOUS VIEW OF THE EMISSARIES' STATEMENTS.
AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF THE CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE IN
ISRAELI-SOVIET RELATIONS SINCE THE 6-DAY 'AR, THERE HAS ALWAYS
BEEN THE FEAR THAT ANY MODERATION IN THE SOVIET POSITIONS WAS
DESIGNED TO SERVE AS A TEMPT ION TO ISRAEL TO SOFTEN ITS
POSIT IONS REGARDING AN OVERALL SETTLEMENT IN THE REGION.
NEVERTHELESS, THE VERY FACT THAT THESE DISCUSSIONS WERE HELD IS
BEING VIEWED FAVORABLY, AND THE PREVAILING OPINION IS THAT THEY
SHOULD BE CONTINUED, AS HAS, INDEED, ALREADY BEEN AGREED WITH THE
EMISSARIES.
IT IS NOT CLEAR IN JERUSALEM WHAT THE SOVIETS MEAN WHEN THEY
TALK ABOUT THE RESUMPTION OF RELATIONS. ONE POSSIBILITY
IS, OF COURSE, THAT MOSCO`/ MEANS THE RESUMPT ION OF FULL
RELAT IONS WITHOUT RESERVAT IONS. HO'W'1EVER, OBSERVERS WHO FOLLOW
SOVIET POLICY DO NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY, ON THE BASIS OF
PRECEDENTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES, THAT INITIALLY THE RESUMPTION OF
RELATIONS WILL BE EXPRESSED BY THE EXCHANGE OF MISSIONS, APPARENTLY
TRADE MISSIONS OR CULTURAL MISSIONS.
AT ANY RATE, I T I S AGREED I N JERUSALEM THAT THE QUESTION OF
THE R E S U M P T I O N OF RELAT I O N S I N WHATEVER FORM I S STILL AT THE
INIT IAL STAGE, AND THE PROSPECT OF THE SUCCESS OF THE
CONTACTS ON THIS MATTER ARE ESTIMATED AT FIFTY-FIFTY.
MEANWHILE, IT HAS BECOME DEFINITELY CLEAR THAT THE SOVIET
EMISSARIES WERE OF TOP-LEVEL, BOTH FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THEIR
POSITION AND THE POWERS GIVEN THEM BY THE KREMLIN LEADERS. THE
REPORTS ABOUT A LINK BETWEEN THESE EMISSARIES AND A PARTY
DELEGATION WHICH CAME AT THE INVITATION OF RAKAH ARE ABSOLUTELY
UNFOUNDED. THE EMISSARIES CAME TO ISRAEL ON A CLEAR-CUT
GOVERNMENTAL MISSION, AND FOR THE DEFINITE PURPOSE OF HOLDING
TALKS WITH THE HEADS OF THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT.
AFTER COMPLETING THESE TALKS, THE EMISSARIES LEFT ISRAEL
IMMED IATELY AND DID NOT MEET WITH ANY OTHER PERSONALITY.
15 APR 07442 TEF/GFE
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/07/30 : LOC-HAK-157-5-20-0