Baker Revises His Five-point Plan, Apparently to Meet Israeli Concerns

Secretary of State James Baker provided Israel on Wednesday with an amended version of his five-point plan for an Israeli-Palestinian dialogue.

It was unofficially welcomed here as “positive” and representing “some progress.”

Baker, en route to Australia, telephoned the revised language to Foreign Minister Moshe Arens. The written text is expected to follow.

Israel Radio said the amended version of the five points was sent simultaneously to Egypt.

In Washington, State Department deputy spokesman Richard Boucher confirmed that Baker spoke by phone Wednesday to Arens and to Egyptian Foreign Minister Esmat Abdel Meguid.

Boucher made no mention of the five points or of any amendments to them.

“These conversations are part of an ongoing effort to agree on a framework, so that we can get to a dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians,” he said.

But according to Israel Radio, changes were made in Baker’s proposals that seem to meet Israel’s two key demands: no talks with the Palestine Liberation Organization and negotiations dealing solely with the mechanics of proposed Palestinian elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israel Radio said the new text eliminates references to consultations on the composition of a Palestinian delegation, which were to involve Israel, Egypt and the United States.

SHAMIR COMING TO U.S. IN ANY CASE

It now states that the United States understands Israel will attend the proposed Israeli-Palestinian dialogue only if the composition of the Palestinian delegation is to its satisfaction, Israel Radio reported.

A reference in the original text to the Palestinians’ right to speak at the dialogue on issues relating to negotiations has been amended to read “negotiating process.”

The change was apparently made because Israel insists that the “process” is spelled out in its May 14 peace initiative. The Israeli plan calls for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to elect representatives with whom Israel would negotiate an interim autonomy arrangement and, later, the “permanent status” of the territories.

Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir will have to decide whether to accept the new version under the pressure of his upcoming trip to the United States. While there is still no official invitation, it is understood that he will meet with President Bush at the White House on Nov. 15.

But there have been broad hints from Washington that Israel’s continued rejection of the American points could result in the president withholding an invitation.

A spokesperson for the prime minister said Shamir would go ahead with his visit to the United States, regardless of whether he is invited to the White House.

(JTA correspondent Howard Rosenberg in Washington contributed to this report.)