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The Washington Post
AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER
Toward Mideast Peace
N OY WITHOUT some fostling, the negotiation of
an Egyptian-Isracli peace treaty is proceeding
apace. Jimmy Carter personally helped negotiate the
compromise draft that both governments have now
approved, Israel with certain amendments; Egypt
demands some alterations, loo. In gaining Cabinet approval of the draft, as in the Knesset vote lerminating the Sinai settlements, Menachem Begin has been
ready to put the drive for peace ahead of political
loyalties cemented over 40 years. The two negotiating
teams are apain back at full strength in Washington,
and they hepe to complele a treaty by the anniversary of Anwar Sadat’s Jerusnlem visit on Noy. 19.
That is, in our view, the proper and positive contextin which to view the latest {flap over Israeli settie
ments in the West Bank. Mr. Begin, to keep his opposition fromspoiling the treaty with Egypt, wanted
fo show there was no literal or direct linkage be
iween Israel's decision to evacuate the Sinai and its
determination to hold on to the West Bank and Gaza,
under new conditions, pending future negotiations.
Evidently he also wanted to retort politically to state
ments Ainerican diplomats have made to Jordan and
West Bank Palestinians to draw theminto those later
talks. Both purposes were served by his announcement that Israel will expand some existing West
Bank settlements. The State Department pronounced
itselt “deeply disturbed."
Tt is a three-level charade. Ficst, the Isracli ;
nouncement was entirely political, and, piven tt
only a handful of those Israelis claiming a rig
to settle in the West Bank actually wish to li
there, it may not lead to any newsetllers. Secor
the protests are also political, and there is no reas:
to think that progress taward an Egyptian-Isra
peace treaty will be slowed. Finally, the logic
evenls will in time almost certainly procluce an ;
commodation on the West Bank anyway. This
likely, no matter whether Israel makes provocati
Temarks on settlements or Palestinians decry Car.
David or King Hussein holds himself aloof, as all a
doing now.
The really important development right nowhas
do with the attitude not of isracl or Egypt, but
Saudi Arabia, Egypt's principal palron and bank.
The Saudis, it appears, are coming around to a po
tion of support for Anwar Sadat's peace polic
They're keeping the money flowing and trying to:
strain attacks by other Arabs. They have just aprer
for the first time in 30 years, to let Israeli Arabs ma
the pilgrimage to Mecca. That is inadequate lo the
who insist upon nice, neat, hard edges on their pe
tics. But it will be of great help to Mr. Sadat in star
ing up to the more radical Arabs’ attempts to dr
hitn down. The peace process, in brief, continues
move ahead.
A Genuine Rockefeller
UR CYCLOPEAN eye was caught by the juxta- to be selling Is his own glittery life, reproduced for
posilian of two recent stories—one about a St. price—though that is not what he claims. His py
Louis gunman who handed back $23 to his victim be- fessed reason for this enterprise is “to share with of
cause the sum was insufficient, the other about Nel- ers” his “joy of living with these beautiful object:
son A. Rockefeller, who has gone into the business of And who would doubt his sincerity?
selling: reproductions of works of art. The gunman’s
Good luck to him, we say. Every Amcrican ¢
contempt would never bave been shown by Mr. Rock serves (o make a million, or even a billion, dependi
efeller or, we imagine, by any of the Rockefellers on where one starts. One troubling memory linge
town through history. The Rockefellers know the however, which we'll simply recount, and then ke
vajue of $23, and of $1,750, and of $7,500—the latter still:
two figures being the prices of two of Mr. ReckefelThe event occurred in 1973, when Mr. Rockefell
ler's new wares.
then governor of New York, wanted to secure the]
Now you may think it a hit muchto shell out, say, publican mayoral nomination for Robert Wagner,
$850 for a framed cibachrome reproduction of Picas- he invited five prominent New York City Rep
so's “Jeune Fille a la Mandolin,” but the essential licans to Albany, to twist their arms. One of
thing about the Picasso, or any of ihe reproduced guests, George Clark of Brooklyn, was furious
Giacomeltis or Toulouse-Lautrecs advertised in a spe- Mr. Rockefeller because of his friendship with Me.
cial Neiman-Marcus catalogue (“ilself a work of art"), Esposito, the Brooklyn Democratic boss.
is that the originals are owned by Mr. Rockefeller.
“Governor, you even pave him a Picasso!” fur
For a mere $250, then, one does not only tiptoe into Mr. Clark. At which Mr. Rocefeller smiled, recop
the workd of beauty, but into the world of the Rocke ing the envy in Mr. Clark's fury.
fellers as well. In short, what Mr. Rockefeller seems
“Hell, George,” he said. “It was only a print.”
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