PRIME MINISTER, ON THE MIDDLE EAST. IF BRITAIN WERE INVITED
TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GENEVA CONFERENCE, WOULD BRITAIN ACCEPT?
WHAT IS BRITAIN'S POSITION ON AN INDEPENDENCY FOR THE PLO AND WHEN
DO YOU THINK THE GENEVA CONFERENCE WILL BE CONVENED?
I THINK THE FIRST QUESTION YOU'RE LOOKING RATHER FAR AHEAD
BECAUSE INDEED IT IS TAKEN UP BY YOUR THIRD QUESTION, ONE DOESN'T
KNOW WHEN THE GENEVA CONFERENCE IS LIKELY TO RECONVENE, OR IN WHAT CONDITIONS, WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES. WE'VE ALWAYS TAKEN THE VIEW
THAT IF THE PARTIES CONCERNED WANTED US TO BE THERE WE, OF COURSE,
WOULDN'T REFUSE TO GO, BUT SO MUCH DEPENDS ON THE PROSPECT OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PARTIES WHO ARE THERE, WITH REGARD TO THE PLO,
THIS IS A MATTER AGAIN THE PARTIES HAVE GOT TO CONSIDER BEFORE
ANYBODY ELSE DOES. I'VE ALWAYS TAKEN THE VIEW, THOUGH I THINK IT IS
FAIRLY WELL KNOWN THAT IN OPPOSITION AS WELL AS IN GOVERNMENT
WER MANY YEARS I'VE BEEN VERY STRONGLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE ISRAELI
CAUSE, EVEN ADDRESSING SUBSTANTIAL JEWISH AUDIENCES IN BRITAIN AND
.IN TEL AVIV AND JERUSALEM, I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT IT IS VITAL
EVEN IN A SHORT TERM PROBLEM THAT SOME SOLUTION BE FOUND FOR THE
LEGITIMATE PROBLEMS OF THE PALESTINIANS: AS TO WHO REPRESENTS THEM, AS TO WHETHER THEY ARE AT GENEVA AND IN WHAT FORM, IT IS NOT A MATTE
FOR US.
Q BRITAIN HAS NOT BEEN INVITED AS YET ?
. A. NO.
Q.
HAS BRITAIN BEEN APPROACHED BY THE UNITED STATES ON THE POSSIB-
ILITY OF USING AIRFIELDS IN BRITAIN FOR AN AIR LIFT TO THE MIDDLE
EAST, IF NECESSARY, WITH THE AZORES CLOSED DOWN ?
A, NO
ሲ
WAS THE QUESTION OF THE COMING REFERENDUM ON EUROPE DISCUSSED IN YOUR CONVERSATION WITH PRESIDENT FORD ?
M
AS ONE POLITICIAN TO ANOTHER HE SORT OF SAID "HOW'S IT GOING 7'
C.
WHAT WAS YOUR ANSWER ?
A.
WELL, OF COURSE THERE ARE A LOT OF PUBLIC OPINION POLLS,
THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS RIGHT AS WE KNOW. A VIEW INDEED I EXPRESSED,
8
/ BUT I RECKON
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