dent Hosni Mubarak has called
for "ending the suffering of the
Iraqi people."
Even the New York Times, in
an Aug. 1 editorial, urged the
Clinton administration to
reconsider an early end to the
sanctions. Given the easing
climate, there was little to lose
by trying to draw Israel into the
picture as well.
The latest round of Iraqi feel-
ers began about a month and a
half ago, when Israeli's ambas-
sador to the United Nations,
Gad Ya'akobi, reported that
third-country diplomats were
bringing him word of Iraq's de-
sire to talk with Israel. He was
told not to engage. Then, last
week, Jerusalem received even
clearer signals, through other
channels, but again rebuffed
them.
This time, however, someone
took the trouble to leak the
existence of the feelers, there-
by catapulting the issue into the
headlines.

Shahal, an old hand at unofficial
contacts with his ex-compatriots,
suggested that while Israel
should not act counter to the
current American position, it
was entitled to make an "inde-
pendent assessment" of the
situation and keep an open mind
about its future relations with
Iraq.
If Mr. Rabin hadn't demurred,
would the Iraqis really have
entered into some level of contact
with Israel? The experts are
highly skeptical.
"We've been through this
before, in the 1980s, when Iraq
was going through an earlier
period of military and economic
distress," said Dr. Ofrah Bangio,
a research fellow at the Moshe
Dayan Center for Middle East-
em and African Studies at Tel
Aviv University.
In the past, feelers were put
out at all levels, from retiring
scholars to high-profile diplo-
mats. Two attempts by Nizar
Hamdoun, then Iraq's ambas-
sador to the United Nations, to
meet with Mr. Shahal, through
the good offices of President
Mubarak, came to naught
because the Iraqis changed their
minds.
Today, even if Israel wanted
to engage in secret contacts, "the
picture is far more complex,"
One reason for making the said Dr. Bangio, "because of the
matter public was to assure lingering anger of the United
Washington that there's no han- States and Saudi Arabia."
ky-panky going on between
Besides, there's little reason
Israel and Iraq — especially af- to believe that Iraq's sudden
ter the discovery, a few months interest in Israel is anything
ago, that Israeli trouble-shooter more than a tactical one.
Uri Lubrani (best remembered
"Iraqi hostility toward Israel
for his role in Operation Solomon remains virulent, even anti-
to bring Jews out of Ethiopia) Semitic," noted Dr. Bangio,
had held secret contacts with citing a recently published series
representatives of Iraqi oil in- of 12 articles by Uddai Saddam
terests.
Hussein, the eldest son of Iraq's
Even before last Friday's president and the editor of the
"News Diary," Prime Minister state organ Babel, reiterating
Rabin had gone out of his way to the need to destroy Israel and
deny any intention of talking to expressing the sentiment that
Saddam. At the joint news "Jews must die."
conference in Aqaba last week,
"They've tried all kinds of
when King Hussein was asked ways to ease the embargo, and
whether he would intercede with these feelers are just another,"
the Iraqis on Israel's behalf, Mr. said Dr. Bangio, echoing the
Rabin made the unsolicited — assessment of senior intelligence
and pointed — comment that Is- s ources.
rael had not asked him to. He
Then again, so, to some
also assured Secretary of State d egree, is Israel — not with Iraq
Warren Christopher that "Israel o r the United States, but with
will not respond to any courting S yria.
by Iraq or Iran" and that it ful-
For in an age when television
ly supports the United States' h as become a key tool of diplo-
stand on the sanctions issue.
acy, and Israel has interpret-
Nevertheless, there are some e d Syria's broadcast of the cere-
figures in Israel who favor a m onies in Washington and
little flirt with Iraq as beneficial, A qaba as a sign that Mr. Assad
or at least not harmful, to sl owly is preparing his people for
Israel's interests. President Ezer a breakthrough, you can be sure
Weizman, for example, tossed t hat the Syrians are equally
out the prospect of drawing Iraq a ttuned to what's being broad-
into the peace process during his c ast on Israeli TV. And the
brief chat with King Hussein in- d edication of a good part of the
augurating the phone link p rime-time weekly "News Diary"
between Israel and Jordan. And to Iraq has unquestionably
Iraqi-born Police Minister Moshe r aised eyebrows in Damascus.

"Iraq is playing a
double game."
Dr. Ofrah Bangio

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