territories has been con- sidered much more outside the U.N. than inside, the ma- jor actors being Israel, Jor- dan, Syria, the PLO and Egypt. U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, Jordan's King Hussein, former Prime Minister Shimon Peres of Israel and President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt have all put forth proposals, but not through the U.N. Both the General Assembly and the Security Council have been critical of Israel's position vis-a-vis its policies, but no meaningful solutions have emerged from those bodies. The PLO is, however, ap- parently willing to drop its in- sistence that Security Coun- cil Resolution 242 be modified to mention Palestinian rights. At its Algiers Conference last month, it stated its will- ingness to accept the resolu- tion as a means of breaking the impasse between the Palestinians and Israel. The one major action the Security Council took was to pass unanimously a resolu- tion applying the Geneva Convention's protection of civilians in wartime to the oc- cupied territories and Israel's obligations there. This is im- portant considering the fact that Israel controls 50 percent of the West Bank, where 140,000 Israelis live, and about 33 percent of Gaza. Israel is a signatory to the convention but claims its ac- tions are compatible with its Obligations under the conven- tion. Fourteen members of the council supported the resolution, which included a request to allow the Red Cross and the U.N. refugees agency to operate there. The one negative vote was that of the United States, whose veto blocked the resolution. Israel's most serious pro- blem regarding its role in the U.N. pertains to the intifada and its response to Palesti- nians rebelling against Israeli rule, as well as to the declaration of Palestinian independence. While the prospects of the U.N.'s being able to help resolve the long-standing crisis do not appear good, it should be remembered that other world tensions have been reduced and in some cases resolved, either direct- ly through U.N. assistance, or indirectly by virtue of the par- ties quietly using its facilities and machinery. If both sides are willing to use it to bring a peace that will provide for security and justice, the organization will have merited the world's thanks. esigner Wool Coats Shorts & Longs Just In Time For The Holidays! We've Cut Prices In Half! Choose from an enormous selection of our finest designer and brand name wool coats! Don't miss this money-saving event ... hurry for best selection! 50% off department store/specialty store orig. prices. Over 2000 units total stores. Sterling Heights • Sterling Place 37680 Van Dyke at 16 1/2 Mile • 939 0700 Mon.-Sat. 10-9; Sun. 12-5 - Oak Park • Lincoln Center Greenfield at 10'/2 Mile • 968 2060 Mon.-Sat. 10-9 ; Sun. 12-5 - West Bloomfield • Orchard Mall Orchard Lake at Maple (15 Mile) • 855 9955 Mon.-Fri. 10-9; Sat. 10-6 ; Sun. 12-5 - THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 13