The Knesset (Parliament) was expected to reject a draft bill presented today proposing that a plebiscite be held in Israel over the future disposition of the occupied Arab territories. The draft was authored by Uri Avneri, a magazine editor, who comprises the one-man Haolam Hazeh faction. Referring to the West Bank, the plebiscite proposed to ask if the Israeli occupation should continue, if the territory should be returned to Jordan or if the Palestinian Arabs should be allowed to establish their own state there. Mr. Avneri is known to favor a separate Arab state but that solution has few supporters among Israelis or Arabs.
Government spokesmen In the past have criticized the idea of plebiscites saying they usually present complex issues in an over-simplified way and lend themselves to demagoguery.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
