Israeli Premier Shimon Peres believes King Hussein’s refusal so far to enter peace negotiations with Israel is not his last word and indicated there would be wide scope for bargaining once negotiations between Israel and Jordan get underway, according to an interview with the Israeli leader published in the mass circulation West German news magazine Der Spiegel.
Peres also remarked that experience shows that the outcome of peace negotiations always differs from the initial positions of the parties involved, Der Spiegel reported.
He said in response to questions that what Israel has to offer Jordan above all is peace. He did not mention territorial concessions but hinted they were possible when, according to Der Spiegel, he said it was not possible or necessary to dismantle Jewish settlements on the West Bank because it was in principle unthinkable to have Israeli villages under Arab sovereignty.
He said there were many possibilities for economic cooperation between Israel and Jordan and joint development projects, such as water resources. He also said confederative solutions were possible. Der Spiegel reported.
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.
