Shultz, Shamir Unable to Agree on Peace Plan

Secretary of State George P. Shultz said today that he has been unable to bridge differences with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir over a U.S. plan for opening Mideast peace negotiations by May 1.

But he called the first of three days of talks with Shamir constructive and said, “We feel encouraged to continue our efforts to work with Israel and others in the Middle East.”

Shamir underscored one of the main differences. He said that in Israel’s view, the Middle East peace conference Shultz wants to convene next month to set the stage for negotiations could not play “any positive role.”

President Reagan sought, meanwhile, to reassure Shamir that he will not be put under U.S. pressure to agree to any particular solution to Israel’s 40-year dispute with the Arabs.

‘It Is Urgent’

But Reagan stressed that “making progress toward peace in the Middle East not only serves mutual interests, it is urgent.”

In a speech to the United Jewish Appeal, the President said he will tell Shamir at the White House on Wednesday that “peace will not be imposed by us or anyone else.”

Shultz met with Shamir for about three hours, first over blueberry pancakes at the secretary’s home in suburban Maryland and then at his State Department office.

“We haven’t found our way to bridge all of the differences,” Shultz said afterward. “I see quite clearly what the nature of the differences are and what they aren’t.”

Bars Soviets, China

Shultz did not offer any details, but Shamir restated his opposition to an international forum that would include the Soviet Union and China, which do not have diplomatic relations with Israel and usually support Arab positions.

“We are interested, first of all, to negotiate directly with all the parties concerned,” Shamir said. “We don’t see any positive role for an international conference.”

The prime minister described his first round with Shultz as “very serious and thorough.” He pledged to cooperate “to get peace and to enhance the prospects for peace in our area.”

But, he added, the Arabs are not willing to negotiate with Israel.

Shultz’s plan for peace talks anticipates Israel’s relinquishing at least part of the West Bank and Gaza Strip it has held since the 1967 Six-Day War in exchange for Arab recognition of the Jewish state.