participate in the negotia-
tions, while the PLO is
demanding the right to
select its own delegates from
both inside and outside the
territories.
Likud and Labor both
claimed victory after their
latest bruising encounter,
though a public opinion poll
conducted for the Hebrew-
language daily Yediot
Ahranot indicated over-
whelming public opposition
to Weizman's freelance dip-
lomatic endeavors.
Fully 72 percent of those
questioned thought he was
wrong to have met with PLO
officials, while 52 percent
The disclosure of
Weizman's
contacts with the
PLO put Labor on
the spot.
favored his removal from the
government.
The disclosure of Weiz-
man's contacts with the PLO
put Labor on the spot. While
a sizeable minority favor
talks with the PLO, party
strategists are aware of the
strong tide of public opinion
against such a move and
recognize that an election on
this issue would be a polit-
ical catastrophe.
Despite Shamir's tough
line, however, the Likud
leader continues to be at-
tacked within his own party
by a trio of senior right-wing
ministers who accuse him of
being "soft."
"Shamir has capitulated
shamefully," declared Trade
Minister Ariel Sharon,
leader of the opposition fac-
tion, who described the
prime minister's handling of
the affair as "a scandal."
Last week, the politically
astute Shamir invited
Sharon to meet with him to
set a date for a meeting of
the party's central com-
mittee to debate their ongo-
ing feud over the leadership
of the party.
Meanwhile, one observer
in Jerusalem noted while
that several ordinary
Israelis, less elevated than
Weizman, have been jailed
for having engaged in con-
tacts with the PLO,
"Weizman got away with
it."
"The taboo against talk-
ing to the PLO is being erod-
ed," he said. "A year or two
ago, talk of dealing with the
PLO was confined to fringe
elements. Now it is getting
into the mainstream of
Israel's national debate."
Weizman, aged 65, was
considered to have been the
architect of the election vic-
tory which brought the
Likud bloc to power in 1977.
He was appointed Defense
Minister in Menachem
Begin's first government,
but resigned in 1980 after
becoming impatient with the
pace of the peace process
following the 1979 treaty
between Egypt and Israel.
He has since held senior
positions in the Labor Party.
In an interview last year,
he described Shamir and
those formulating Israel's
foreign policy as
"squareheads, on the
borderline of fascist."
"Today, the only party
able to deliver what it prom-
ises in the territories is the
PLO," he declared. "After
the entire world has recog-
nized this, it is time we do so
as well."
Weizman's place in the in-
ner cabinet has been taken
by Communications Min-
ister Gad Ya'acobi, a liberal
intellectual who is regarded
as close to Shimon Peres. 0
Kitty Dukakis In
Holocaust Group
Washington (JTA) — Pres-
ident Bush has appointed
Kitty Dukakis to the 65-
member U.S. Holocaust
Memorial Council.
Dukakis, the wife of
Massachusetts Gov. Michael
Dukakis, who was Bush's
1988 Democratic foe, co-
chairs the council's fund-
raising arm, A Campaign to
Remember.
The fund-raising campaign
has raised $77 million of its
$147 million goal toward
constructing a national
Holocaust museum. The mu-
seum, which is being built
near the Washington
monument, is scheduled to
open in April 1993.
In 1979, Kitty Dukakis
was appointed by then Pres-
ident Carter to a commission
set up to decide how the
United States should com-
memorate the Holocaust.
The commission recom-
mended that the Holocaust
Council be created, which
was fulfilled in 1980.
We've Grown
a Lot in
60 Years.
Did you know that at the
House of Watchbands, we
■ Carry the largest selection
of watchbands and watches
in the area.
■ Repair your watch on the
premises.
■ Sell batteries for every
watch made.
■ Cut our own crystals.
■ Repair jewelry.
■ Restore Vintage Watches.
WATCH BANDS
... and now watches too!
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MONDAY & THURSDAY 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
37