Washington

Conditional Support
Urged To Break Impasse

ment's unwillingness to engage seri-
ously in peace talks.
Pro-peace process groups are telling
administration officials that a shift on
ith frustration over the
a Palestinian state would not necessari-
stalled Mideast peace
ly provoke a strong backlash.
process at a boil, the
"I don't think the administration
Clinton administration is
would get their heads handed to them
being nudged to declare conditional
on a platter if they began talking
support for a Palestinian state. Sources
about issuing a kind of 'Balfour
here say some administration officials
Declaration' for Palestinians, using the
are sympathetic — but also that there
`S' word, as long as they make it very
is concern that a shift in U.S. policy
clear that a
could trigger a back-
Palestinian state has
lash in Israel and on
to be consistent with
Capitol Hill.
long-term Israeli
The rumblings
security interests,"
have alarmed Israeli
said Mark
officials, who believe
Rosenblum, political
Palestinian leader
director of Americana`
Yassir Arafat has done
for Peace Now
nothing to merit a
The administra-
change in U.S. policy
tion, he said, "may
on the subject.
now have the politi-
"We're seeing clear
cal room to do it."
signs of American
But administration
exasperation with all
officials aren't so sure.
sides," said one Israeli
"There's a growihg
official. "They can
feeling that they have
walk away from the
to do something to
negotiations, or they
shake up the peace
can get tough with
process, but they are
both sides, which I
Former Secretary of State Henry
also intelligent, expe-
don't think they are
Kissinger sees new state as
rienced Mideast play-
ready to do. Or they
inevitable.
ers who understand
can try to use entice-
how
touchy and
ments wherever possi-
unpredictable Israeli public opinion
ble. That's where new talk about a
can be," said an analyst for a pro-Israel
Palestinian state comes in."
group here.
Administration sources confirm
Growing talk of a shift in the U.S..
that frustration is mounting and new
position, this observer said, could be
options are being discussed.
intended mostly to underline to Israeli
Despite an upbeat assessment by
leaders
the administration's growing
Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy,
frustration.
officials here say last week's Israeli-
Israeli officials are throwing another
Palestinian talks in Washington
issue into the mix; while the adminis-
accomplished almost nothing, despite
tration continues to hope for a "time-
strong U.S. pressure for progress.
out" in settlements construction, the
Administration sources say that
Netanyahu government is frustrated
there must be some light at the end of
that Washington is not pressing for a
the tunnel for the Palestinians — and
similar moratorium on Palestinian
since the two sides can't come up with
activities that have contributed to the
tangible agreements on their own, the
recent stalemate, including anti-Israel
United States may be forced to take
efforts at the United Nations.
dramatic steps — including condi-
tional support for a Palestinian state.
This week, the Washington Post did
Syria OffDrug Dealing List
its own pushing with an editorial sug-
The administration's desire to resusci-
gesting just that, and over the week-
tate the Mideast negotiations also maL,
end, former Secretary of State Henry
have been one of a handful of factors ,
Kissinger, speaking in Israel, said that
in this week's controversial decision to
a Palestinian state is "inevitable."
remove Syria and Lebanon from the
Other Observers point out that the
official list of nations supporting the
Reagan administration decided to rec-
drug trade.
ognize the Palestinian Liberation
On Monday, President Clinton
Organization in 1988 out of a similar
notified Congress that both countries
frustration with the Shamir govern-
have been removed from the list of

JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent

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