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VOLUME 11-12: 1988-1992
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60. Interview with Prime Minister Shamir on Israel Radio, 23 May 1989.
The prime minister was upset by the Baker speech, although he had not yet read it in its entirety. He felt that Israel was a small country, and that it "sounds really ironic to speak of a 'Greater Israel. " He repeated his oft stated view that there are major differences between Israel and the United States on various issues, chief among them settlements in the areas. Text:
Mr. Shamir: I have not yet read his address, but if he did indeed make that statement, I do not know how it is possible to speak at all of a "Greater Israel." Israel is a very small country. We all know that its territory is quite limited. It sounds really ironic to speak of a "Greater Israel." We obviously differ on the matter of settlements. This is not new. I do not see any connection between settlements and the issue of the peace process. I stated this explicitly and made this completely clear during my visit to the U.S., and, as they say, we agreed to disagree.
Q: Baker also referred to Israel's political initiative, and his comments did not contain a "full endorsement" of the plan, as Foreign Minister Moshe Arens promised.
A: I have been familiar with this expression - that Israel gave something to the U.S. - since [Arens's] first meeting with him. It should be viewed as something positive. We provided them with the possibility of working on a serious initiative that could advance the goal of settling the conflict, which is also an American goal. I do not see any contradiction between what he said back then and what our foreign minister reported to us. I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of the foreign minister's report. Issues on which we disagree are woven into our very close friendship with the U.S., which has existed for many years. |
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