From: hernlem@chess.ncsu.EDU (Brad Hernlem)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.mideast
Subject: Israel Hints At Talks Boycott
Date: 17 Apr 92 16:16:51 GMT
Reply-To: hernlem@chess.ncsu.EDU (Brad Hernlem)
Organization: North Carolina State University


ISRAEL HINTS AT BOYCOTTING TWO ROUNDS OF PEACE TALKS

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, April 10 (AP) -- Israel may boycott two upcoming
rounds of Middle East peace talks over its objections to sitting down
with Palestinians from occupied Jerusalem or the diaspora, state
television reported yesterday.

It would be the Jewish state's first boycott of Middle East peace talks
since they began in Madrid last October. The planned talks on the issues
of Palestinian refugees and economic development are expected to convene
next month in Canada and Belgium.

They are separate from the bilateral talks between Israelis and
Palestinians, Israelis and Lebanese, Israelis and Jordanians and Israeli
and Syrians expected to resume April 27 in Washington.

A foreign Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity,
confirmed there was disagreement over who represents Palestinians at the
Canada and Belgium meetings.

The United States supports the Palestinians' request to include
representatives from outside the occupied territories and East
Jerusalem, the official said.

"We have said we do not agree. That is where the matter stands. I know
of no final development," added the official, who was reached by
telephone. He stressed Israel would not back down but that no final
decision was taken.

The television's respected Arab affairs reporter Ehud Yaari said Israel
would "apparently boycott the talks about refugees and economic affairs
for failure to find a formula," over Palestinian representatives.

Foreign Minister David Levy alluded to the issue in an interview with
Arabic-language television. He urged Palestinians to adhere to the
"Madrid principles" in the talks.

Since the talks opened in Madrid, Spain, last October, the delegation
has been limited to Palestinians from the Israeli-occupied West Bank and
Gaza Strip, which are home to some 1.7 million Palestinians. Israel
captured these territories in the 1967 Middle East war.

Israel has long objected to including Palestinians from occupied
Jerusalem, arguing this would prejudice Israel's claim to the city as
its indivisible capital. Israeli officials insist these conditions were
accepted as part of the ground rules when the Madrid talks began.

The controversy flared after Palestinians began leaving for five days of
consultations with Egyptian officials in advance of the next round of
peace talks.

Four Gaza members of the Palestinian delegation left yesterday for Cairo
for strategy sessions and official talks. Six West Bank members are to
join them later.

They are to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and study
agreements and documents related to the 1978 Camp David accords and the
1979 Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty.

The accords outlines the terms for the autonomy agreement being
discussed in the Middle East peace talks in Washington.

[Arab News, April 11, 1992]

******

If you wish to negotiate with a group shouldn't you allow them to
represent themselves as they wish; else how binding is the agreement reached? 

Brad Hernlem (hernlem@chess.ncsu.EDU)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.mideast