we met with expressed a desire to
move towards peaceful coexistence
with Israel. They clearly see coexis-
tence as the best path For improving
the social and economic conditions
of the Palestinians."
Status talks on Jerusalem is
among the many difficult issues left
to resolve, he added. "The Israelis
remember the days when Jews were
denied access to their holy places.
On the other side, the status of the
Palestinian state within the rest of
the Arab world depends, to some
extent, on whether they have influ-
ence over the holy sites in Jerusalem.
"However, the Palestinians in par-
ticular expressed a confidence that a
creative solution could be found that
both they and the Israelis would find
satisfactory."
The mission was the brainchild of
Michael Landsburg, an Israeli Labor
Party activist who is executive direc-
tor of the World Labor Zionist
Movement. The mission included
meetings between members of the
Palestinian National Council and
leaders of the Labor Zionist
Movement from around the world.
Mission participants also met
with members of the Israeli govern-
ment and representatives of the
Settlers' Movement: Jews living
beyond the pre-1967 borders of
Israel.
The Palestinian leaders included
Jericho Mayor Sa'eb Erakat,
Bethelem Mayor Hanna Nasser and
Hebron Mayor Mustafah Al-Natche.
The highest-ranking figure was
Faisal Husseini, the Palestinian
Authority's minister of Jerusalem
affairs.
One of the leaders of the Gush
Emunim Settlers Movement, Rabbi
Menachem Forman, expressed an
unexpected position. He lives in the
Gush Etzion bloc south of
Jerusalem. He talked about his
attachment to the land and the need
to allow people of all persuasions to
live and travel wherever they desire.
He said it does not matter to him
who prints the money or which gov-
ernment paves the roads he uses.
He indicated there are growing
numbers of Jews living outside the
pre-1967 borders who accept the
possibility that they may eventually
be living in a Palestinian state.
Mirroring this attitude was Sa'eb
Erakat, a Palestinian who argued in
favor of a confederation, or free
trade zone, between Israel, a
Palestinian state and Jordan.
NOW AVAILABLE AT
THE HEATHERWOOD
RETIREMENT COMMUNITY:
or information, call Kathy Ostrowski:
350-1777
rive • Southfield MI
7/23
1999
Detroit Jewish News
37