From: ejk@coral.JPL.NASA.gov (Elya Kapelyan)
Subject: Re: Israel: Chutzpah at the Negotiating Table
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA/Caltech
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 15:08:29 GMT

In article <1992Aug12.002739.250891@cs.cmu.edu>, clamen@CS.CMU.EDU (Stewart Clamen) writes:
|> In article <1992Aug11.175926.7386@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov> ejk@coral.JPL.NASA.gov (Elya Kapelyan) writes:
|> 
|>    In article <1992Aug10.201902.119961@cs.cmu.edu>, clamen@CS.CMU.EDU (Stewart Clamen) writes:
|>    |> In article <1992Aug9.150359.3222@rs.com> horen@rs.com (Jonathan B. Horen) writes:
|>    |> 					.
|>    |> 					.
|>    |> 					.
|>    |>    In complete seriousness, I ask: "What *positive* things do the Arab
|>    |>    states in the Middle East have to offer Israel?"
|>    |> 
|>    |> Not necessarily the neighbouring states, but Arab states in general
|>    |> have the following to offer:
|> 
|> 
|>    |> - The right of any Israeli Muslim to make Haj (this is currently
|>    |>   restricted),
|> 
|> 	   If I remember correctly this is possible at the moment, and
|>    does NOT represent any major concession.
|> 
|> I remember reading last spring that special negotiations with Egypt as
|> an intermediary had risen the quota to somewhere around 1000 (for this
|> past Haj season).  Remember that Israeli passports are not recognized
|> in SA, so an Israeli Arab flying from Cairo to Mecca would have to
|> have some special paperwork.  Are the Israel news clippings archived?

	That may be the case, but then SA should simply recognize _all_
Israeli passports regardless of the religion of the holder.
 
|>    |> - Discontinuation of the Arab Embargo,
|> 
|> 	   Well they promised to do so if Israel stopped settlements,
|>    and now that Rabin has done just that I don't see the Arabs in any
|>    hurry to keep their word.
|> 
|>    |> - Oil (is the British pipeline from Iraq to Haifa still there?),
|> 
|> 	   Why do this when Israel can purchase the oil from the Sinai
|>    oil fields that it developed?
|> 
|> Can Israel purchase all the oil it requires from these wells, or is
|> there some cut-off (1980 levels or something like that)?

	I believe (but not quite sure) that the Israelis can buy as much oil
as they want, (though they have been buying limited amounts).  Could someone
please provide further details on this?
 
|>    |> - Water (from Turkey through Syria),
|> 
|> 	   Turkey is not an Arab country.
|> 
|> But Syria is!  Try running a water pipeline from Turkey to Israel
|> without Syria's approval.

	True.  However, after Turkey finishes building the Attaturk Dam, the
Syrians will need that pipeline as much as the Israelis.
 
|>    |> - Direct trade (agricultural goods, technology, etc.).
|> 
|> 	   This might be nice.
|> 
|> 				 -*-
|> 
|> 	   I think that it is far more interesting what is missing
|>    from this list than what is here.  For instance:
|> 
|> 	   1.  Immediate renunciation of the state of war with Israel.
|> 
|> That was assumed, yes.
|
	OK. (So we agree on something :-) )
 
|> 	   2.  Agreement in principle to sharply cut stockpiles of weapons,
|> 	       and reduction of military expenditures.
|> 	   3.  Agreement to eliminate chemical/biological weapons from the ME.
|> 
|> These two would be quite nice indeed.

	I'd say that these are imperative.
 
|> 	   4.  Renunciation of Arab "right of return" to pre-67 Israel.
|> 
|> I think this will have to negotiated.  Some sort of transfer of
|> capital in exchange for the capital lost during the migration.
|> (Coupled, of course, with capital transfer from the Arab countries
|> which forced out their Jewish populations since 1948.)

	Amen.

|> --
|> Stewart M. Clamen			Internet:    clamen@cs.cmu.edu
|> School of Computer Science		UUCP: 	     uunet!"clamen@cs.cmu.edu"
|> Carnegie Mellon University		Phone: 	     +1 412 268 2145
|> 5000 Forbes Avenue			Fax:	     +1 412 268 5739
|> Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890, USA

	Elya
Newsgroups: talk.politics.mideast