THE JEWISH NEWS

THIS ISSUE 60P

SERVING DETROIT'S JEWISH COMMUNITY

FEBRUARY 19, 1988 / 1 ADAR 5748

Are The Palestinians
Able To Compromise?

HELEN DAVIS

Israel Correspondent

Jerusalem — Another day,
another riot, another beating,
another death. The war between
Israel and the Palestinians has settl-
ed into a bloody, brutal, daily ritual.
As the uprising enters its third
month, Israelis are being firmly
discouraged from anticipating a
quick, clean end to the conflict.
For the first time since the
violence erupted, last week's cabinet
communique contained no optimistic
expectations of a lull, much less any
hope that order might soon be
restored. Compounding the gloom
was an announcement by the army
that civilians in reserve combat units,
who are normally required to spend
one month a year in uniform, can ex-
pect longer periods of "operational
service" during the coming year.
So far, live ammunition, rubber
bullets, tear gas, detentions, deporta-
tions and physical beatings have fail-

ed to reduce the fervor of the young
Palestinians — the Generation of the
Stones — who emerge daily on the
streets of the West Bank and Gaza to
demonstrate their, defiance and con-
tempt to the Israeli troops.
No longer the meek victims of an
occupying army, they have taken the
initiative and are now dictating the
terms of the battle. They have cata-
pulted their cause to the top of the in- Israeli soldiers chase Gaza demonstrators past barricades and tear gas.
ternational agenda and badly shaken
For if mainstream Palestinian
Israel's confidence in itself. And in knew before December 9, when the
ideology remains wedded to the goal
the process, they have won a signifi- disturbances began.
Having changed Israeli per- of achieving an independent state run
cant moral victory.
ceptions,
the question now is whether by the Palestine Liberation Organi-
Moral victories, however, are not
they
will
be
able to modify their own zation, then continued deadlock and
military victories, and while the
Palestinians will emerge from the perceptions and translate their heightened violence are inevitable.
There is a virtual wall-to-wall con-
war with a great deal of international dreams into realistic political goals.
sensus
within mainstream Israel
How,
in
short,
will
they
use
their
vic-
sympathy and support, they will still
against
both negotiating with the
tory?
If
there
are
sober
Palestinians
have to strike a deal with Israel if a
political settlement is to be achieved. engaged in a radical reassessment of PLO and permitting the emergence of
The net gain of the uprising is where they should go from here, they an independent Palestinian state in
that the Palestinians will be dealing have not yet declared themselves. the West Bank and Gaza.
To the vast majority of Israelis —
with an Israel that is very much more And if they fail to come forward and
favorably disposed to achieving a po- win support, the future looks bleak certainly to the two major political
Continued on Page 18
litical settlement than the Israel they indeed.

I CLOSE-UP I

EMPTY
SYMBOL

Israelita de Nicaragua
typifies the conditions
for Central America's

war-torn citizens

CONTENTS PAGE 7

Religious News Service

If mainstream Palestinian ideology remains wedded
to the goal of a PLO state, then continued deadlock
and heightened violence are inevitable