Middle East: Golda Goes Shopping

“Man was made out of the soft earth,” said Richard Nixon, “and woman was made of a hard rib.” The President was quoting a Jewish proverb to describe the tough-minded, 71-year-old grandmother who stood beside him: Israeli Premier Golda Meir, who had just met Nixon for the first time. Golda Meir’s visit to Washington last week was one of her most important missions since she took office six months ago. The Israelis have been apprehensive about Nixon’s announced “evenhanded policy” toward the Middle East. They are acutely aware that he owes very little to Jewish voters. Moreover, they worry that Nixon’s eagerness for an agreement with the Russians might move him to make concessions to the Arabs.

If all this troubled Mrs. Meir as her helicopter touched down on the White House lawn last week, her doubts seemed to be promptly dispatched. She was met with full military honors, a 19-gun salute and a warm welcome from the President. Obviously heartened by her reception, Mrs. Meir thanked Nixon “for enabling me to tell my people that.we have a great and a dear friend.”

Phantoms and Skyhawks. In private talks, Mrs. Meir presented what she described as her “shopping list.” In general, she wanted to be sure that the U.S. would continue to supply arms to Israel. Specifically, she asked for 25 more Phantom jet fighters (Israel has already begun to take delivery of 50, costing $200 million) and 80 Skyhawk jets. Noting the war’s strain on Israel’s budget, she requested a cut in the estimated 7% interest that Israel is still paying on the initial Phantom order.

Mrs. Meir’s visit came as Washington sought solutions to the violence in the Middle East. In exchange for aid, the U.S. may ask Israel, among other things, to return some of the land captured in the 1967 war as part of a negotiated peace. Nixon also wants an end to the shootouts along the Suez. The Administration believes that Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser is the only visible Arab leader strong enough to negotiate peace. Any major attacks on his country could scuttle hope of negotiations.

For a time last week, in fact, it seemed that Nasser was offering a peace feeler. Speaking with reporters at the U.N., Egypt’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Riad was understood to say that his country would negotiate directly with Israel—even before the Israelis withdrew from Arab lands. Later Riad denied saying anything about direct talks, but he did say that Israel and Egypt were engaged in “Rhodes-type” negotiations. This approach was used in the 1948-49 peace talks on the island of Rhodes, where the Arabs and Israelis, for the record at least, never directly faced each other. Proposals were shuttled between the two sides by Dr. Ralph Bunche—a role that could now be played by Dr. Gunnar Jarring of Sweden.

Direct Talks. In Washington, Mrs. Meir repeated the negotiation terms on which the Israelis insist: either direct talks with the Arabs or none at all. She is especially adamant in her refusal to recognize any effort by the Soviet Union to arrange peace terms. This puts her at odds with the Nixon Administration, which believes that the Russians—as equippers of the Arabs —must play a part in peace as in war. Thus, when Secretary of State William Rogers met on two occasions last week with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, the Middle East was high on their agenda. Moscow now seems to realize that it is unrealistic simply to demand Israeli withdrawal from the conquered Arab lands. Any withdrawal terms will have to be part of a package that includes a binding declaration of peace from the Arabs. The Rogers-Gromyko talks also proved that there are wide differences on other items of the package, including final boundaries, the disposition of Jerusalem and the Palestinian refugee question.

At week’s end, while Gromyko and Rogers agreed to talk further, Golda Meir prepared for a sentimental journey. After visits to New York and Los Angeles, she would return to Milwaukee, where she taught school before moving to Jerusalem in 1921. Even in Milwaukee, Middle East tensions will be apparent. With the Premier will be the largest security force to escort a foreign dignitary since Nikita Khrushchev visited the U.S. in 1959.