JEWISH NE

SERVING DETROIT'S JEWISH COMMUNITY

THIS ISSUE 60cP

AUGUST 19, 1988 / 6 ELUL 5748

Experts Skeptical Over PLO Plan

A proposed Palestinian provisional government that would recognize Israel
is nothing new, according to political scientists and Israeli officials

STAFF REPORT

Local Mideast experts and Israel
leaders expressed skepticism this
week over reports that Palestine
Liberation Organization Chief Yassir
Arafat is considering a platform that
would establish a provisional Palesti-
nian government that recognizes
Israel.
Sources close to Arafat said he .
plans to announce the platform next
month. The declaration, sources said,
would quickly be ratified by the
Palestine National Council (PNC),
the Palestinian "parliament in exile."
"I don't think it will become a
peace proposal. But it places more
pressure on Israel to make conces-
sions to the leadership on the West
Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir denounces
Bank," said Professor Raymond
Palestinian proposals.
Tanter of the University of Michigan's
Israel Prime Minister Yitzhak
political science department.
"I don't think it's new But from Shamir, who has rejected the idea of
the point of view of the Palestinians, a Palestinian state, said he will not
allow the establishment of a provi-
it's the only way they can move to get
sional government in the West Bank
some benefits;' said Wayne State
and Gaza.
University political science Professor
"We will not allow anyone in this
Maurice Waters.

country to do anything against the
State of Israel and its government,"
he said.
A legal committee of the PLO
already is meeting in Tunis, reported-
ly to outline the new provisional
government. The new government
probably would include Palestinian
representatives from the West Bank
and Gaza.
In the past, the PLO frequently
requested a "government in exile"
that would consist of leaders from the
PLO.
The decision to form a provisional
government and recognize Israel was
sparked by King Hussein's recent an-
nouncement that he was formally cut-
ting all legal and administrative ties
to the West Bank.
Immediately after the king's an-
nouncement, the PNC held an
emergency meeting and is scheduled
to convene again at the end of this
month in Algiers. Arafat is expected
to deliver a speech at the United Na-
tions afterward.
Bassam Abu Sharif, a top Arafat
aide, said early this week that the

PLO executive committee already has
approved the plan for a provisional
government but that further details
"are in the melting pot and we are
stirring them around!'
Abu Sharif wrote a letter — cir-
culated several months ago and
reportedly approved by Arafat —
stating that direct negotiations bet-
ween Israel and the Palestinians are
the only way to achieve peace in the
Middle East.
Some of the more hardline Palesti-
nians, who refuse to consider
recognizing Israel, denounced the
statement.
Two of the most radical leaders,
George Habash and Nayef
Hawatmeh, are slated to be included
in the provisional government.
Habash is head of the Popular Front
for the Liberation of Palestine and
Hawatmeh is leader of the
Democratic Front for the Liberation
of Palestine.
Habash, who supports a Palesti-
nian government-in-exile, has de-
nounced the concept of the provisional
Continued on Page 16

•
Child abuse is coming
out of the
Jewish community close

■

See Contents, Page 7

