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Foreign Correspondent

N

ever known for
charisma or a sense of
drama, Israeli Prime
Minister Yitzhak Shamir in-
ched toward the peace table
this week, dropping hints of
acceptance of the American
plan along the way rather
than making an early, bold
statement.
Speaking on Israel Televi-
sion, for example, Mr.
Shamir said he would not
rule out the possibility of
Arab-Israeli negotiations
"within the next three mon-
ths or so."
Some observers took this
as a sign that the Israeli
leader was constructing a
timetable that would pro-
duce peace talks in October,
one month after Israel plans
to request a $10 billion loan
guarantee from the U.S.
administration to help Israel
absorb the quarter-million
Soviet immigrants who have
arrived over the past 18
months.
Despite the sense of
historic momentum
resulting from Secretary of

Editor Gary Rosenblatt con-
tributed to this report.

(

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JULY 26, 1991 / 15 AV 5751

Israel Reaching
Moment Of Truth

HELEN DAVIS

Illustration by Scott Roberts

1.

State Baker's latest Mideast
visit, having elicited positive
responses from Arab leaders
before arriving in
Jerusalem, Israeli officials
cautioned that before giving
a positive response to Wash-
ington, Mr. Shamir was call-
ing for clarification of the
make-up of the Palestinians
who will form part of a joint
negotiating team with Jor-
dan.
He was also, less urgently,
seeking clarifications on the
status of the United Nations
observer at the peace con-
ference and on the status of
the conference itself after
the parties enter direct
talks.
A senior political source in
Jerusalem said Mr. Shamir
did not want to be seen to be
haggling over procedural
issues, which have already
been accepted by all the
main Arab protagonists, and
it was "extremely likely"
that Israel would soon accept
the U.S. peace proposals.
The source said Mr.
Shamir's reply would come
before the deadline imposed
by National Security Ad-
viser Brent Scowcroft, who
asked Israel to respond

Continued on Page 35

Talks May Fail
Over Land Issue

AMY J. MEHLER

Staff Writer

T

hough Secretary of
State James A. Baker
returned to Washing-
ton, D.C., this week with
commitments from five Arab
countries to take part in a
regional peace conference,
local Arab and Jewish
leaders are reacting with
heavy skepticism and deep
concern.
"Israel ought to be
cautious when dealing with
Syrian President Hafez al-
Assad — the Godfather of
the Middle East," said
Ezekiel Leikin, executive di-
rector of the Detroit District,
Zionist Organization of
America.
Mr. Leikin called Syria's
sudden willingness to join in

direct peace negotiations
with the Israelis a tactical
maneuver used to recoup the
financial support Syria lost
since the economic collapse
of the Soviet Union.
"Hafez al-Assad is a prac-
tical and astute politician,"
Mr. Leikin said. "He feels
his base of support has dried
up, so now he intends to cozy
up to the United States."
Detroit Zionist Federation
President Joe Medwed said
he believes Mr. Baker prom-
ised the Arabs certain con-
cessions while putting
together the U.S. coalition in
anticipation of the Gulf war.
"It's likely that the Arab
nations are calling in their
markers for their support of
the U.S. resolutions in the
United Nations prior to

Continued on Page 11