King Hussein of Jordan and Palestine Liberation Organization chief Yasir Arafat have reached agreement on a joint framework for negotiations with Israel, according to a report from Amman today by Jordan’s official news agency, Petra, which gave no details other than saying the two men had discussed the “reality of the Palestine issue in the occupied territory and in the international arena.”
The report took West Bank Palestinian leaders by surprise and their reactions tonight were cautious and, in some cases, skeptical. There were some hopeful expressions but most West Bank political figures asked by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency to comment said there were insufficent details about the reported Hussein-Arafat agreement to estimate its significance. There was no immediate official Israeli reaction.
It was learned here today that President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt has sent a message to Hussein, delivered to him by Mubarak’s close aid, Ossama El Baz. This indicated that Mubarak is exerting pressure on Hussein and Arafat to reach an agreement, something they have tried and failed to do at several meetings in the past two years.
According to sources here, Mubarak believes a Hussein-Arafat agreement would provide leverage for King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, currently visiting Washington — and for Mubarak himself on his forthcoming visit to the U.S. — to convince the Americans that the time has come to force Israel to the negotiating table.
The main obstacle between Hussein and Arafat is the latter’s refusal to recognize United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 which affirms Israel’s right to exist in secure, recognized boundaries. There are also differences between the Jordanians and Palestinians on the mode of Palestinian representation at negotiations with Israel — whether the Palestinians would comprise a separate delegation or be part of the Jordanian delegation.
Another difference concerns the definition of confederal relations between Jordan and a future Palestinian state. It was too early to tell today whether these differences have been resolved and whether the Arabs have indeed succeeded in pushing Israel into a political comer.
REACTIONS BY WEST BANK LEADERS
Mayor Elias Freij of Bethlehem, a prominent moderate on the West Bank, told the JTA that he supported the agreement in principle and hoped it would create a political momentum in the area and the beginning of a dialogue between all parties concerned toward a just solution. Friej also expressed hope that the Israeli government would react in the same positive manner.
He noted that the Hussein-Arafat agreement came just as King Fahd of Saudi Arabia was beginning his week-long visit to Washington (see separate story) and suggested that this should give a boost to any political efforts for a settlement.
Mustapha Abdul Nabi Natshe, the deposed May or of Hebron, also thought the announcement from Amman was a positive development. But he preferred to wait and see whether and how it would be implemented. He also expressed hope that Israel would react in a positive manner rather than dismiss the move.
Ibrahim Dakak, a West Bank trade union leader who is considered a supporter of the anti-Arafat elements of the PLO, said it was too early to tell whether the accord has any political significance because it is “all in the eyes of the beholder.”
He maintained that everyone could interpret the statement according to one’s own political views. Dakak observed that in the Arab world, people tend to use diplomatic terminology which often is meaningless. He said he did not consider the announcement an attempt to push Israel into a comer but rather “another trap for the PLO.”
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.
