Women of Maimonides Medical Society * *44TH ANNUAL DONOR DAY* * presenting Special Guest: Designer OLEG CASSINI Fashion Show by: SAKS FIFTH AVENUE Tuesday, March 27, 1990 SHERATON SOUTHFIELD important than the symbols he employed, because the diminishing international interest in the intifada and the threat to Arafat's au- thority in the occupied ter- ritories are not the only fac- tors driving the PLO to a more belligerent stand. Of equal concern is the PLO's uncertain future rela- tionship with the Soviet Union and the Eastern bloc of former Communist nations, on which Arafat once relied so heavily for moral and military support. It is now clear that if Moscow reduces its in- volvement in the region, as it is likely to do, and allows a mass emigration of Jews without any reciprocity from Jerusalem, the pressure on Israel to come to terms with the Palestinians will be diminished and the peace process itself will become even more protracted. Earlier this month, Gena- day Terassov, a senior Soviet official, was dispatched to Tunis to assure PLO leaders that Moscow would use all its powers of persuasion to convince the Israeli govern- ment not to allow the emigres to settle in the oc- cupied territories. The bottom line of his mes- sage, however, failed to allay PLO fears. "We are prepared to freeze or even reverse our growing contacts with Israel," Terassov said, "but we will not stop the emigration, which is primarily due to economic considerations." In its anxiety to prevent a further erosion, the PLO has resorted to the old appeal for pan-Arab solidarity. It was no coincidence that Abu Sharif linked "the Arab nation" with "the Palestin- ian people" in declaring that Israel had committed an "act of war" by settling Soviet Jews in the occupied territories. The PLO might have rais- ed the specter of a million Soviet Jews settling in the occupied territories for its own reasons. But Israel cannot ignore either the potency of the appeal or the very real possibility that the immigration/settlement issue could spill over into the wider Arab arena. Last weekend, represent- atives of Iraq, Egypt and North Yemen met in the Jordanian capital to discuss the situation, and some Arab leaders are already describ- ing the mass immigration of Soviet Jews as the "Second Catastrophe," ranking it with the establishment of Israel itself. Israeli officials prefer to believe that the Arab states will not repeat past mistakes and endanger their own vital interests for the sake of the Palestinians. But the of- ficials also recognize the risk that in the Middle East, rhetoric can quickly override rationality. If the Palestinians are able to convince the Arab states that the superpowers are once again solving their own problems at the expense of the Arabs and that this is yet another blow to Arab honor, Israel might have a serious problem. In calling for support from his Arab brothers, however, Arafat it appears may have overreached himself and he will have to overcome two major obstacles if he is to achieve concerted pan-Arab action. First, he will have to win the confidence of Syrian President Hafez Assad, who has a deep and abiding mistrust of the PLO leader. Second, he will have to ap- pease Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, who was deeply wounded last week by Arafat's deputy, Salah Khalaf, better known by the nom-de-guerre Abu Iyad. Egypt is not only the prin- cipal Arab backer of the PLO, but Mubarak has been personally involved in at- tempting to further the PLO's peace initiative. Small wonder that the Egyptian leader, anxious to convince Washington that he is an indispensable agent in any Middle East peace process, was displeased to learn that his unrelenting support of the PLO had been rewarded with a fierce at- tack by Abu Iyad, who belittled Cairo's role in the PLO's diplomatic efforts and accused Egypt of interfering in the PLO's internal affairs. At the weekend, Palestin- ian sources were predicting that Arafat would visit Cairo shortly. With all the other problems currently besetting the PLO leader, he will no doubt place a high priority on mending fences with an important and in- fluential ally in a world where such allies are becom- ing increasingly scarce. ❑ (Formerly Michigan Inn) 16400 JL Hudson Drive Southfield, MI 48075 Boutiques 10 AM-4 PM • Luncheon 12 Noon • Couvert 8 25 — Babysitting and Valet Parking Available — For reservations please mail check to: MRS. LAWRIE WINSTON 4030 WINTERSET LANE, W. 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