June 21, 1977

June 21: Menahem Begin says upon becoming Prime Min that prevention of another war is his primary concern; calls on Hussein, Sadat and Assad to meet with him in order to discuss peace; omits in speech his earlier position that West Bank is non-negotiable during peace talks; says he will endeavor to deepen Israeli-US friendship, work for renewal of close ties between Israel and France and seek to normalize Israeli-Soviet relations; Labor Party leader Shimon Peres says Begin's 'intransigent' foreign policy will cause rifts with Israel's allies; Begin illus (M)

Immigration and Naturalization Service, after reptd personal intervention by Pres Carter, admits Mex workers to pick crops in southwestern Tex despite recommendation by Labor Dept that they be barred (M)

US Sup Ct rules, 6-3, that neither Const nor current Fed law requires states to spend Medicaid funds for elective abortions; rules that cities and towns that have public hosps are not required under Const to provide or permit elective abortions; NYC Health & Hosps Corp pres Joseph T Lynaugh says munic hosps will continue to perform abortions with Medicaid funds while legal implications are being studied; rulings are major victory for antiabortion forces; Natl Right to Life Com officials hail rulings; Amers for Dem Action vp Joseph L Rauh Jr scores decisions (M)

State and Fed wildlife officials reveal that 'unlicensed' fishermen on Lake Mich have been illegally netting lake trout contaminated by PCB and selling them to NY, Detroit and Chicago consumers; are now putting pressure on wholesale fish dealers to refrain from selling poisoned trout to stores and restaurants; NYS Agr Dept repr Maurice Gurrette repts he has seen no evidence that fish is being shipped to NY (M)

NYS health investigators say 12 nursing home operators, recently convicted of felonies or misdemeanors, still operate homes in state; there is no state law that requires automatic revocation or suspension of nursing home license of anyone convicted of misdemeanor or felony--even Medicaid fraud; Assemblyman Andrew J Stein names 12; Health Dept repts that Comr Robert P Whalen on June 17 named 8 operators, in addition to Bernard Bergman, who are using all legal devices possible to continue in nursing home business; Whalen cites case in which Muriel Sturman won ct orders to add 90 beds to Dumont Nursing Home, New Rochelle; she was indicted in '75 for filing false billings to Medicaid; Whalen, Stein and Atty Gen Louis Lefkowitz urge legis for automatic removal of nursing home operations upon conviction of felon; list of nursing home operators still running homes (M)