With the normalization of relations between Israel and Egypt little more than a month away, the parties to the autonomy talks are seeking new approaches to Palestinian leaders on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. According to reliable sources, a member of the Egyptian negotiating team in the autonomy talks, Ambassador Ezzat Abdul-Latif, has been holding unofficial — and until now secret — talks with a number of West Bank notables.
He has visited East Jerusalem several times to meet with prominent West Bank political figures despite Egypt’s official ban on visits by their diplomats to Jerusalem prior to the Jan. 26, 1980 normalization date. Egyptian sources have described these contacts as “profitable” but would not identify the Palestinians with whom Latif talked.
U.S. special Ambassador Sol Linowitz, who left today for Washington, told reporters here that he, too, would seek out Palestinian leaders in coming months to discuss the autonomy scheme. Israel’s chief negotiator, Interior Minister Yosef Burg, also promised to open an initiative toward West Bank and Gaza Strip leaders. He said he intended to consult with them without involving them at this stage in the autonomy talks since they refuse to be formally involved. Burg said his new initiative was timely now that the affair of Mayor Bassam Shaka of Nablus has been resolved.
TALKS DUE ON NORMALIZATION PROCEDURE
Meanwhile, the Director General of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, Yosef Ciechanover, has arranged to meet in Cairo next Tuesday with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Butros Ghali to discuss preparations for the normalization procedure. The arrangements were made by Eliahu Ben – Elissar, Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office, who spoke with Ghali by phone today. Ben – Elissar is expected to be designated Israel’s first Ambassador to Cairo. Ambassadors are to be exchanged in February.
Next week’s meeting was apparently prompted by concern in Israel over the lack of direct contacts with Cairo on the practical measures that must be taken to effect normalization Among other things, Israel and Egypt must each rent embassy premises and residences for their diplomats and must finalize arrangements for the free flow of ###ists between the two countries by land, sea and air.
The next plenary session of the autonomy negotiators will be held in the Cairo suburb of Giza next week. Linowitz will not attend.
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