The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 10, 1993 - 13
PLO, Israel
agi'ee on
recogntion mk $
Mideast. peace talks make k
East Detroit classes are
delayed until taxvote
major breakthrough on road to
stability in volitile region
TNIS, Tunisia (AP) -PLO leaders and Israel
swept away one of the major obstacles to Mideast
peace yesterday when they agreed to recognize each
other and take the risky path to peace.
The mutual recognition agreement clears the
way for a separate pact giving Palestinians a mea-
sure of self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip,
occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war.
President Clinton called the agreement "a very
brave and courageous thing," and a congressional
aide said Clinton told congressional leaders that the
Washington would renew dialogue with the PLO,
suspended in 1990.
Yitzhak Rabin's office said in Jerusalem that
Israel and the PLO will sign the recognition agree-
mentin simultaneous ceremonies in Jerusalem and
Tnis on Friday. It said Rabin would sign in his
office at 9 a.m. today (3 am. EST).
Monday in Washington, the two sides will sign
an accord on Palestinian self-rule in the occupied
Gaza Strip and West Bank town of Jericho.
Under the recognition agreement, the Palestine
Liberation Organization would renounce terrorism
and recognize Israel's right to exist. The agreement
on self-rule could eventually lead to amore compre-
hensive autonomy for Palestinians in lands cap-
aredby Israel.
In Washington, Hanan Ashrawi, spokeperson
for the Palestinian delegation at the Mideast peace
talks, said, "There are very few moments in history
that are comparable to this moment."
She said the agreement "recognizes Palestinian
national rights and allows for genuine reconcilia-
tion based on the rights of both peoples to live in the
region."
Texts of the unsigned recognition letters were
released by Rabin's office yesterday.
PLO chief Yasser Arafat, in a letter to Rabin,
pledges the PLO will renounce terrorism and de-
clares that sections of the PLO convenant that call
for Israel's destruction are "no longer valid."
School board officials
postpone start of classes
one week until millage
vote due to budget
restraints
EASTPOINTE, Mich. (AP) - The
start of classes has been delayed in
public schools in Eastpointe until school
officials see whether voters will ap-
prove a proposed tax to keep the district
running.
The 6,800 students in the East De-
troit School District in Macomb County
were to begin school Tuesday. But dis-
trict officials postponed classes until
Sept. 15, one day after voters decide
whether to approve a 2.44-mill prop-
erty-tax increase for school operations.
Officials said they chose to delay the
start of classes rather than risk the dis-
ruptions that would result from a defeat
at the polls.
The East Detroit Board of Educa-
tion voted lastmonth to cut $1.2 million
from the district's budget. That money
will not be restored even if the millage
increase wins voter approval.
If it is defeated, district officials said
they would be forced to cut another $2.6
million by laying off 109 employees,
including 76 teachers; eliminating sports
and elementary art, music and physical
education classes; and reducing daily
class time for high school, middle school
and elementary students by one hour.
Cutting back on class time with the
school year already under way "would
be a catastrophe for the kids," Superin-
tendent John Gardiner said.
"Parents complained about the late
start, but once we explained what we
were trying to do, they went along with
it," he said. "The parents unhappy with
the delay will still vote for the millage."
School days lost to the current post-
ponement will be made up after the
academic year begins, allowing classes
to end June 16 as scheduled, Gardiner
said.
Betty BreemerofEastpointeplanned
to enroll in two adult education courses
offered by the East Detroit district. But
school officials, citing a 20-percent cut
in state aid for adult education, have
delayed the start of those classes as
well.
"Kids should be back in school now.
This isn'tagood strategy, and I think the
cutbackthreatsarejustaploy," Breemer
said, adding that she planned to vote
against the millage increase.
Meanwhile in nearby Wyandotte,
the Board of Education reversed a plan
to hold classes only four days a week in
that district to save money.
The board announced Tuesday night
followed word that the district would
get $600,000-$800,000 more than it
expected in state aid, plus $500,000 in
cash reserves an audit uncovered.
School board President Wayne
McKinney said the extra money, plus
$1.2 million in spending cuts, would
enable full-time operation of schools
for the 5,000-student district.
Palestine refugees march in support of the PLO-Israeli recognition agreement in the streets of Gaza City.
AP PHOTO
Rabin, in a letter to his longtime enemy, says
Israel will recognize the PLO "as the representative
of the Palestinian people" and will start negotia-
tions with the organization.
PLO officials said the last sticking point in the
agreement concerned the nearly six-year Palestin-
ian uprising in the Israeli-occupied lands.
'There are very few moments in
history that are comparable to
this moment.'
after fighting so many years for this moment, I have
to go and celebrate."
Norway's foreign minister, Johan Jorgen Holst,
who has been helping mediate the talks, called the
agreement "a historical breakthrough which was the
result of the foresight, vision and courage of chair-
man Arafat and the leadership of Israel."
In Jerusalem, Rabin's 10-member inner Cabinet
voted unanimously to approve the mutual recogni-
tion agreement.
Three hours after Arafat convened the PLO's
ruling Executive Committee to approve the recog-
nition and self-rule accords, the committee was still
heatedly debating the pacts. Holst was still in Tunis,
awaiting the decision.
PLO officials, speaking on condition of ano-
nymity, said the PLO's foreign minister, Farouk
Kaddoumi, boycotted the meeting in protest. Arafat
still was believed to have the necessary majority of
eight or nine of the 12 committee members still in
attendance.
Holst was then to take the text to Israel for
signature, said Yasser Abed-Rabbo, one of the Pal-
estinian officials closest to Arafat.
Clinton, in Cleveland, hailed the accord as a
"huge development" toward Middle East peace .
The president cautioned that "there are a lot of
things that still have to happen."
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