Don’t Pressure Israelis Publicly, Shultz Advises

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State George P. Shultz, seeking to dampen overt criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir the week before his crucial visit here, Wednesday urged members of Congress not to pressure Israel publicly to accept the new U.S. plan for resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict.

“He said we’re not going to pressure Israel, that they are our friend, our ally, and we’re not going to push them in a corner,” Rep. Dan Glickman (D-Kan.) said. Shultz briefed House members about progress in reviving negotiations on the future status of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip during his recent Middle East trip.

Shultz appeared to be trying to soften the White House’s warm endorsement Monday of a letter 30 senators sent Shultz last week that criticized Shamir.