I MEDIA MONITOR I FUNCTION • .t•s• • From 'Capitulation' To 'Blunder' In A Week IN ARTHUR J. MAGIDA Special to The Jewish News R us. \Z 0 \\I\ ?.\ ONC C \.\ .\\O G MI\01\C, 0 \1\\..\,[\.\\O \ S. Futuristic Furnishings, Inc. Makers of Custom Laminated Products 4329 Normandy Court Royal Oak, Michigan 48073 (313) 549-6300 CONTEMPORARY Without LLumar® on your windows, it's curtains. ecent events in Israel — Likud's decision to change the terms of its peace initiative, the death of 14 Israelis when a Palesti- nian caused an Israeli bus to swerve off the road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and the chance that Labor might withdraw from the coalition government — have drawn in- evitable attention in the news media. An editorial in the Jerusalem Post stated that Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir's "capitulation to the dictates of his Likud Party adversaries" by accepting conditions on the peace in- • furniture • lighting • wall decor • gifts • silk florals • interiors G raduate to the finest in home furnishings, gifts and accessories at 20-50% OFF! casual living modes For the best in contemporary home furnishings and accessories for over 35 years! 544,1711 22961 WOODWARD • FERNDALE Michigan Automatic Sprinkler, Inc. Underground Lawn Sprinkler Systems Design • Installation • Service • Residential Call the Professionals (313) 661-6300 24-hour Phone Service Serving Michigan Since 1950 Lloyd & Neil Blazofsky 26 FRIDAY, JULY 21, 1989 • Commercial LLumar® Window Film PROTECTS FURNITURE & CARPETING FROM FADING • Blocks the sun • Rejects heat and glare • Gives your windows the look of expensive tinted glass. MID-WEST GLASS TINTING, INC. 836-4099 Monday-Friday 10.4:30 . ' .11 AS t i ngan 'Authorized Rain Bird Installer" Free Estimates RAII4BIRD, PREFERRED IFY PROFEWONALS WORLDWIDE Window Film v ■ IIIV. • 41110 We are winning. i'AmERIcAN so ctuR ETY' Shamir: 'Capitulated' to Likud foes. itiative meant that Shamir "opted for keeping his posi- tion and party intact as his highest priority." Labor's response will be "a severe test' of its "inner strength and public stan- ding," continued the editors. The initiative was intended to achieve a new political pro- cess with the Palestinians .. . [and] also to detour around the inherent differences bet- ween Labor and Likud. Even if the two parties could not agree on final goals, they could agree on short-term goals, like the election scheme." "The question now," said the Post, "is whether the Labor Party will, like the premier, also capitulate" to the demands of Likud right-wingers. Meanwhile, on the Arabic- language "Radio Monte Carlo," Bassam Abu-Sharif, a spokesman for PLO leader Yassir Arafat, denied the Israeli government's charges that the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem bus incident was "terrorism." "The terrorists," said Abu- Sharif, "are [Israeli Prime William Safire: 'Unhelpful harangue' Minister Yitzhak]. Shamir and his government. Whoever defends his rights and resists occupation is not a terrorist." The U.S. State Depart- ment's initial hesitation in joining Israel in calling the bus attack a "terrorist" inci- dent was one of four "blunders" that New York Times columnist William Safire claimed have tainted recent American foreign policy toward the Middle East. The other three goofs, according to Safire: • The U.S. put no pressure on "slippery" Jordanian King Hussein to accept Israel's election plan for Palestinians. And rather than give the PLO a deadline for accepting the offer, Secretary of State James Baker "rewarded PLO `The question now is whether labor will capitulate. intransigence with higher- level contacts." • Baker's "no Greater Israel" speech — an "unhelpful harangue" — pro- voked "a revolt" by Likud's right-wing against Shamir. "To remain in power," wrote Safire, "the Prime Minister was forced to swallow party guidance that would deny .. . [Israel's] withdrawal [from the West Bank and Gaza that] Mr. Baker would impose." • Baker indicated that the U.S. may back international talks on the Middle East if the Israeli election plan fizzles. "This blustering," said Safire, "was counterproduc- tive . . . Threatening Israelis with a gang-up conference, especially with its only ally already pledged to strip it of defensive depth, will stiffen already stiff necks."