In view of the many statements that were made in Washington, Jerusalem and Arab capitals, the President suggested that for the next three weeks, until the arrival of Prime Minister Begin in Washington, "we refrain from additional comments on specifies." Following are excerpts from the press conference:
Q. Mr. President, Senator Javits says you are pushing Israel too far. Other Americans sympathetic to the Israeli position say worse, that you are perhaps selling Israel down the river. My question is, first, do you think you are, and secondly, how difficult will it be for you to continue your policy if the American Jewish community sides with Mr. Begin instead of Mr. Carter?
A. I might say, first of all, that I look forward with great anticipation to the visit of Prime Minister Begin on the 19th of July. My determination is that the talks will be friendly and constructive, and also instructive for both him and me.
He will be received with the kind of friendship that has always been a characteristic of the American people's attitude toward Israel. An overwhelming consideration for us is the preservation of Israel as a free and independent and hopefully peaceful nation. That is preeminent. At the same time, I believe it has been good during this year, when I hope we can reach a major step toward a peaceful resolution of the Middle East, to have the discussions much more open, to encourage the Arab nations and Israel to frankly understand some of the feelings that each of them has toward the other and to address the basic questions of territories, the definition of peace, the Palestinian question.
I really think it is best for this next roughly three weeks before Mr. Begin comes that we refrain from additional comments on specifics because I think we have covered the specifics adequately. And if I or someone in the State Department, or someone on my staff, emphasizes territory and the definition of peace, the immediate response is: why didn't you say something about the Palestinians, and so forth. So I believe that we have discussed it adequately.
I believe all the issues are fairly clearly defined. It is accurate to say that our own nation has no plan or solution that we intend to impose on anyone. We will act to the degree that the two sides trust us in the role of an intermediary or mediator and I still have high hopes that this year might lead toward peace.
But it will never be with any sort of abandonment of our deep and permanent commitment to Israel. And I have made this clear in specific terms to every Arab leader who has been to our country.