David near Washington yesterday. No one is seriously expecting a puft of white smoke announcing the culmination of the Sadat Initiative by way of a joint declaration of principles setting out the terms of a future setlement on the Middle East conflict. However the smoke signals could be black or, more likely, a murky shade of sAi three leaders - Sadat, Begin, and Carterfrom a complete breakdown of the Cump David summit. Carter. as the bost, has his credibility and prestige which even without the Middie East is barely hobbling along. Regin has his reputation as the first Israeli leader to have had within his grasp the prospect of an enduring settlement with Egopt and the Arab regimes. To let relatioes not only with the American administration but with this slip by would isolate israel American and Israeli public opinion. the most to lose from a total breakdown of the peace initiative which he personally launched last November. By now he must be painfully leadership's willingness to make territortal concessions.
It look around sovereignty over Sinai to be conceded by the Israelis. The Bank is another story. For this, In Begin's view, is the Biblical lund of Judes and Samaria, and therefore an inalienable part of modern srael. On this issue the Begin leudership has not prepared any dramatic policy changes for Camp David, Without movement on the thorny question of the West Rank, it is not possible for Sudat to call his November initiative even a qualified success. So where does that leave him" regimes and particularly with his bankers, Saudis -after consultation with Egypt and the American Secretary of State-reversed their former opposition to any further face-to-face negotiations with the Isruelis. They have backed Sadul in his decision to ultend the present summit meeting. It is therefore possible that Sudat, with Saudi support, is viewing the Camp David discussions as a platform from which to maximise the public relations gains of his November initiative by placing the blame for failure on the isruelin:
Begin, the Americans will be able to cobble together a few for given the position of the Begin Government, which has become Egyptians, marking time, ailments, and a number of other from the point of view of the parties involved.
the Government's policy or its effect on wage leveb.
paid. Thes got the pay restraint but not the rest.
Words and resolutions are simply not enough.
actions to ensure that these policies are carried out.
phrases.
Support for the toolmakers would he a good start.
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Socialist Challenge 7 September 197H Page 7 -have a lot to lose and further damage Begin's Sadat is the one unpredictable ingredient at the summit. He hus aware that he seriously miscalculated the Begin it to be conceded be he braels. Teen This depends in part on Sadat's relations with the other Arab Arubia. The On the other hand it is likely that by curbing Sadat and egging on formulas that will give the summit the appearance of making progress, This is the best that the Carter administration can hope an embarrassment to the Americans, For Sadat to be content with such an outcome and emerge uncompromised in the eyes of at least wome of the more important Arab regimes, it will probably be necessary for the Americans to further distance themselves from the Israeli position on withdrawal from the occupied territories.
However, Carter has the Congressional elections looming sp soon. Best from his point of view is the option of curbing the SHERODInS for some sort of breakthrough, such as the early demise of Begin through natural cuuses. He Is after all rumoured to have a heart condition, liver Such a the neup or be other David conclave. Rarely has such high summitry coincided with such a low probahility of soccess DENIS HEALEY confidently predicted on the weekend that the TUC would reject another round of pay restraint. Confident because, as he went on to say, it wouldn't make any difference to For the past four years the Social Contract has made the working class and the TUC the losers. Initially the union leaders accepted puy restraint In return for: reflationary measures, an end to public expenditure cuts, and lower income tax for the less well Last yeur they rejecled pay cutting. But the main strikes for more, by the FBU and the power workers, were defeated — with a lot of help from the union generals on the TUC General Council.
The TUC this year may reject the 5 per cent wages offer, and they may demand a 35-hour week and increased public speedingBut this has to be backed by sapporting, encouraging and building Delegates at the TUC should he aware that motions are eusily ignored by the bureancrats. They should be ready now to ensure that a defeat like that of the firelighters must not occur again, und that all trade unionists are prepared to back up militant words with militant action - forcing the TUC leaders to fight for their fine