DIPLOMACY: Begin Brings His Plans For Peace

Menachem Begin has been to Washington before, though never as the leader of the one nation in the world to which the U.S. currently allots more money, more aid and more concern than any other, regardless of size. If the Israeli Premier's meeting this week with President Carter could be held before an audience, the event would be S.R.O. For at stake in this summit meeting is not only the future of the unique relationship between Israel and the U.S., but the prospects for any major progress toward a Middle East settlement.

The Administration had openly shown concern about—and had warned against—the hard-line policies of the new Premier's government. But at his press conference last week, the President went out of his way to indicate that Begin would get a warm reception. Said Carter: "I think that [he] is trying to bring with him an open mind and an ability to go to a possible peace conference with all items being negotiable." Begin was equally conciliatory. Boarding an El Al 747 jet with his wife Aliza, he said at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion Airport: "I am leaving for the shores of America with a good hope in my heart."

Carter had a chillingly unsuccessful meeting with Begin's predecessor, Yitzhak Rabin, last March, and warm ones with four key Arab leaders: Egypt's Anwar Sadat, Syria's Hafez Assad, Jordan's King Hussein and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Fahd. Despite serious and perhaps insurmountable policy differences with Israel, Administration officials are doing their best to downplay the prospect of a clash between Carter and Begin. "There will be significant differences of opinion," says one official involved with the advanced planning, "but they are not going to be throwing chairs at each other."

Anticipated Proposals. By contrast with his Labor predecessors, Begin has managed to plug almost all leaks from Jerusalem about the proposals he is bringing to Washington. The Premier spent nearly three hours with his Cabinet before flying to Washington, explaining what he intended to tell Carter. He gained an endorsement and also insisted that the ministers keep quiet at home until the Premier had a chance to present his ideas at the White House.

Administration officials concede that they have no precise notion of Begin's proposals, but they expect him to present two separate plans: