In view of the many references made by President Ford and Secretary Kissinger, to Israel's role in the breakdown of the talks with Egypt, Israel embarked on a major information campaign in the U.S. Foreign Minister Allon was the chief official to travel to Washington. His presence there was utilized for a meeting with Secretary Kissinger on 21 April, following which it was announced that the U.S. and Israel would do their best to coordinate their positions. Excerpts from the Rabin statement follow:
Mr. Speaker, Members of the Knesset,
I should like to limit myself to a few brief remarks. Firstly, the government's decisions, as expressed in my statement to the Knesset on 24 March, remain fully valid. They govern the government's policy.
Secondly, the Foreign Minister was requested by me to agree to set out on a series of addresses in the United States. Since the talks were suspended, we have been engaged in a difficult struggle for the explanation of our position in the United States and other countries friendly to Israel. Moreover, we wanted to win many friends. We wanted to deepen and intensify the activities of the United Jewish Appeal and the State of Israel Bond drive. We felt it necessary to make a special effort to intensify this activity, so that it should express greater support for Israel by the Jewish community in the United States and a large number of non-Jews who support Israel.
American Jewry has undertaken a large-scale campaign. The U.J.A. and the Bond drive have arranged a broad and comprehensive range of activities to express their solidarity with Israel in both word and deed. And it is natural that the leaders of the American Jewish community, and others, should want the government of Israel as well to show the importance it attaches to this work of theirs, by sending a prominent member of the government, a man who participated on the inside in the recent political negotiations. It would have been a mistake had the government not responded to this request from Jewish leaders in the United States to take part with them in this comprehensive effort. It was in this context that I approached the Foreign Minister and asked him to undertake this task.
In the context of the relations between Israel and the United States, it is only natural that we should inform the U.S. government of a visit by a minister. It is natural - and l am glad of it - that although the U.S. government is aware that the government is firm in its attitude, that having been informed that the Foreign Minister was coming to the United States - and for the purposes which I have explained - the U.S. Secretary of State should invite him for a talk with him in Washington.
I am not one of those who regard the relations between the United States and Israel as being in a state of crisis. There are differences of opinion between us, differences of opinion within the context of the profound understanding which has existed for years between our two peoples and our two countries.
This was the purpose, this is the purpose, of the Foreign Minister's visit.
And now a third remark. I regret the convening of the Knesset today in connection with this subject. We are in the midst of a week with a special character. Yesterday, a splendid demonstration of solidarity with Soviet Jewry by Jews and non-Jews was held in the United States, a manifestation of unity and solidarity with one of the basic elements of the struggle of Jews for recognition of their Jewishness and their right to settle in Israel. It was also an expression of mass solidarity, of Jewish and non-Jewish unity in the United States, in support of the struggle of the state of Israel.
Tomorrow, we shall remember the members of the underground movements and the Israel Defence Forces who fell in the battles for the establishment and the defence of the State of Israel. The day, after tomorrow, we shall celebrate the 27th Independence day of the State of Israel.
I have a question. On what basis, for what reason, is the firm stand of the Israel government being questioned? At this stage of its efforts to win the support of public opinion, in one of the most difficult confrontations we have known - from within our own ranks - by what right, on what basis? Do we have to give an example of dissension in this week of Jewish unity and solidarity? There is not the slightest basis for all that has been said here by the opposition spokesman, and I regret it. I regret it, because only a few weeks ago, on the basis of my statement on the government's policy, which remains fully valid today, we created both an expression and an atmosphere of unity in the difficult struggle that faces us. I regret it, and I move that the motion be struck from the agenda.
The motion was rejected by a vote of 43 to 27, with 6 abstentions.