The Middle East
Peace Slide
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Since 1971
kind of merry-go-
round effect has over-
taken the Middle East
peace talks, with
Israel, the Palestinians and
the United States all
expressing grave disap-
pointment at one another's
performances and charging
each other with responsibili-
ty for the impasse.
The role of a "full part-
ner" in the clogged negotia-
tions, the U.S. State
Department quickly discov-
ered, is a thankless one.
The Palestinians have
charged that the U.S. diplo-
mats who drew up the draft
of a joint declaration of prin-
ciples meant to bridge the
proposals made by the rival
sides — and thus keep the
talks moving — were less
than "honest brokers."
Not only did they consult
with the Israelis only, they
produced a document that
in Palestinian eyes proved
heavily weighted to the
Israeli side and that totally
ignored issues that are criti-
cal to the Palestinians —
the status of the Israeli set-
tlements and Jerusalem, for
example.
Israeli spokesmen, for
their part, have been fret-
ting that the State
Department's priorities
seem to be elsewhere
(namely, the Balkans) just
at a point when, unless
there is more spirited U.S.
involvement in saving the
faltering talks, they may
founder altogether. Deputy
Foreign Minister Yossi
Beilin went so far as to say
that "progress in the talks
will come about only
through American involve-
ment."
But Secretary of State
Warren Christopher wasn't
having any of that. Miffed
— perhaps by the complain-
ing tone and the asper-
sions cast on his staff's com-
petence — or simply unwill-
ing to be manipulated into
the role of the fall guy, he
laid the problem right back
at the complainants' door.
And as proof of his mettle,
the secretary reportedly
postponed a trip to the
Middle East by top aides
Aaron Miller and Dan
Kurtzer designed to get the
sides back into a dialogue
until the Israelis and
Palestinians indicate their
willingness to respond to
American mediation.
For the Palestinians, that
means coming out of their
sulk and agreeing to talk
turkey in Washington, as
they did for a few days in
the middle of the ninth
round of the talks. For
Israel, it means, among
other things, taking
American advice about eas-
ing the pressure on the
Palestinians at home.
On Sunday, Jerusalem
responded in a somewhat
roundabout way by
announcing a program to
employ 20,000 Palestinians
in the territories proper for
the next two months at a
cost of 30 million shekels.
The government also spoke
of easing the restrictions on
Palestinians crossing into
This does not
mean that the
political situation
remained static.
Israel, primarily East
Jerusalem, for the purpose
of studies, medical treat-
ment, business, and reli-
gious worship.
But it rejected a proposal,
made by the liberal Meretz
party ministers, to raise the
quota of Palestinian labor-
ers allowed into Israel from
45,000 to 60,000, thus
essentially keeping the clo-
sure at its present level.
However, this does not
mean that the political situ-
ation in the area remained
static.
On the contrary, while
the diplomats have been
having a go at each other,
the position of "the street"
(as public opinion is referred
to here) has hardened con-
siderably. The word
"hunger" comes up increas-
ingly often to describe the
situation in the territories
— especially the Gaza Strip
— as a result of the eight-
week closure. (Israeli econo-
mist Ezra Sadan used the
term "little Bangladesh" to
describe the direction in
which Gaza is heading,
though General Danny
Rothschild, the coordinator
MIDDLE EAST PAGE 24