Israeli Deflects Veiled Attack on Shamir : Reagan Remarks Meant for Arab Leaders, Senior Official Says

JERUSALEM —  A senior Israeli official sought to deflect an apparent U.S. attack on Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir today, saying President Reagan’s spokesman meant his criticism for Arab leaders.

Israeli media interpreted a statement by White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater condemning “leaders who are negative, consistently reject new ideas and fail to exploit realistic opportunities to bring about negotiations,” as a rebuke to Shamir, although he was not specifically named.

The statement followed talks in Washington on Tuesday between Reagan and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, who supports U.S. proposals for an international Middle East peace conference opposed by Shamir.

Fitzwater said Peres is “creative and has the courage and wisdom to say yes when real opportunities arise.”

He made no mention of Israel’s prime minister but said those leaders who make progress impossible “will have to answer to their own people for the suffering that will inevitably result.”

The sharply worded statement came at the start of a campaign for Israeli elections in November likely to be dominated by differences over Middle East peace between Shamir’s right-wing Likud bloc and Peres’ Labor Party.

Asked for Reaction

Asked to respond to the American criticism, an official close to the prime minister said: “It is hard to believe they would be aiming at Shamir, whose dedication to peace and direct negotiations is well known.”

The official said the statement “could have been aimed only at those Arab leaders who have consistently refused to come to the peace table with Israel.”

But Israeli newspapers cited U.S. Administration officials saying the statement was aimed at Shamir.

Speaking to Israel Radio from the United States, Peres said he did not view the White House statement as interference in domestic Israel politics.

“No (it is not interference). A complete distinction must be made between our relations with the United States and Israel’s election campaign. For example, when the White House made other gestures to Israel, or to Israel’s prime minister, I received these respectfully and with understanding and was pleased.”

Peres said he appreciated the White House’s praise for himself, which he described as a pleasant surprise. Secretary of State George P. Shultz is due to return to the Middle East in early June for another attempt to advance peace efforts. American officials say Shamir’s hostility to a peace conference is one of several obstacles.