At the Geneva summit conference, between Presidents Reagan and Gorbachev, there was hardly any time left to discuss the Middle East and the issue of immigration of Soviet Jews to Israel. In the following interview, Mr. Shamir expressed disappointment with the lack of progress in Israel-Soviet relations. He preferred to wait for Assistant Secretary of State Murphy, who was coming to Israel on that day to report to its leaders on the Geneva summit talks, and then he would assess the situation. Text:
Q: Do these things [the summation of talks] meet our expectations from the Geneva summit?
A: You were correct when you said that no precise agreement was reached on any particular issue, but we are witnessing here a great effort by the world's leaders to reach understanding and perhaps compromises despite the many disagreements whose severity was certainly revealed at this meeting between the leaders of the U.S. and the Soviet Union. I think that the entire world is following with great interest and suspense and hopes that the leaders reach understanding and overcome the disagreements. I would wish for ourselves that in our region as well, leaders of the peoples and nations should understand that despite the disagreements that exist and that will exist for a long time, we must make a special effort to arrive at agreements and understandings.
Q: Are you disappointed by the fact that the Jewish issue did not come up in the way that we and Jewish organizations, and the many that demonstrated in Geneva, hoped for?
A: I would certainly be very glad and happier if we had heard some news about a change in Society policy regarding Soviet Jewry, but it was difficult to expect that at such a relatively short meeting, when there are so many and complicated problems, that all the problems would find their solutions. I hope that the efforts to achieve understanding will continue and that our problem - the problem of Soviet Jewry will be raised in all its intensity and all its urgency, and I want to express our hope that this matter will not be forgotten in the sea of problems, and that understanding will be reached concerning it as well. It appears to me that this matter is far simpler than all the matters that the world's superpowers discussed.
Q: This evening U.S. envoy Richard Murphy is due to arrive to report to you and the prime minister about those matters which were discussed at the conference which are of direct interest to us. Have you had any previous report on what was discussed there, and if not, what are the questions you will be interested in asking Mr. Murphy.?
A: As of this moment, we have not received anything special. I believe that right now all the U.S. envoys who are to be sent to various countries to report to those countries which are friendly to the U.S., are being briefed. I hope that when Mr. Murphy arrives this evening - and we will see him tomorrow morning - we will hear what happened at the summit first of all from an overall human standpoint: we're interested in knowing everything that happens on the globe as a whole; and of course whether or not our regional problems were raised there, or any other matter which directly affects the problem of the region, such as that of Soviet Jewry. I expect that we will hear encouraging news from Mr. Murphy.