A change of mood within the moderate wing of Israeli public opinion towards the Palestinians is discernible at this time, The new attitude shows signs of evolving into a profound disillusionment with the prospects of achieving a negotiated solution between Israelis and Palestinians. It is expressed by politicians and columnists known hitherto as advocates of a compromise between the two peoples.
Several Knesseters, who until now had consistently favored great Israeli concessions towards the Palestinians — including the establishment of a Palestinian state — have been deeply disappointed by Palestinian leaders’ reluctance to take part in the recent political meeting in Washington initiated by the Israeli quarterly. New Outlook.
Well-known “doves” like MK Yossi Sarid of the Labor Party, Avraham Melamed of the National Religious Party, and Mordechai Wirshoubsky of the Democratic Movement, cancelled their plans to participate in the meeting and the few Knesset members who did take part in the symposium returned home plainly disappointed.
REASON FOR DESPAIR
The reason for their despair was the hostile attitude of Palestinian leaders towards the opportunity provided by New Outlook to meet Israelis and start discussing with them the possibilities of reaching an agreement between the two peoples. None of the front-ranking Palestinian leaders on the West Bank responded to the invitation.
Those few Knesset members who did attend realized that Israelis are in fact arguing among themselves over the possibility of reaching an accommodation with the Palestinians. The Palestinians, for their port, take no role in the dialogue.
As one Israeli dove commented later: “Instead of waiting for a real Palestinian readiness to change their attitude towards Israel, we — wrongly — express our expectation of such a change and blame the government for its refusal to agree with the Palestinians on the hypothetical possibility of such a new approach.”
The bald fact Is that the Palestine Liberation Organization establishment has not shown — for the time being — any sign of flexibility towards Israel. None of the top leaders has expressed readiness to begin negotiating with Israel. None of them is ready to amend the “Palestine Covenant” which calls for the dismantling of the Israeli State. None of them has declared publicly willingness to adopt the UN Resolution 242 as the basis for a solution.
NEW SENSE OF SUSPICION
Recent commentaries by Israeli journalists are even more unequivocal and can be described as imbued with a new sense of suspicion towards’ the Palestinians motives and goals.
Yehuda Litani, a well-known reporter on the prestigious daily Haaretz, recently visited several Palestinian centers in the U.S. and Western Europe, surveying the contacts between the PLO and the international community. Litani’s reports were as despairing as the impressions brought by the politicians who returned from the New Outlook conference.
Litani, familiar to his readers as a zealous advocate of far-reaching Israeli concessions towards the Palestinians, discovered — and reported — that there was no real moderation within the Palestinian leadership. Nevertheless, the Palestinian establishment has succeeded in winning international recognition and sympathy.
Litani, in a series of 13 articles, stressed that the Palestinians had been able to foster the image of the “underdog” who needs the world’s assistance in their conflict with Israel, without being required to pay for this sympathy by any significant flexibility in their ideological attitude towards Israel’s existence.
Litani points a picture of a sophisticated political and propaganda network set up by the PLO leadership in the main Western centers. His conclusion: the Palestinian leaders, represented by the PLO, are not ready to accept the existence of the Israeli State, and all their political moves — designed to increase international support — are based on a false presentation of their true goals.
‘THE BRIDE WHO DIDN’T SHOW UP’
Amos Elon, another prominent journalist who consistently preaches a moderate approach towards the Palestinians, returned from Washington as disappointed as Litani. In a recent article, Elon talked about “the bride who didn’t show up for her wedding.”
Referring to the New Outlook conference, Elon lamented the circumstances in which several Israeli intellectuals and politicians came to the U.S. their hearts full of goodwill, and failed to find their prospective partners. The Palestinians were not brave enough or willing enough to discuss the conflict and its possible solution with the moderate group who came from Israel.
These voices of disappointment and disillusionment sounded by articulate politicians and intellectuals who are considered favorable to the idea of a Palestinian state, may evolve into a total despair of the PLO leaders as realistic partners to a reasonable dialogue. Such an eventuality may in time weaken the moderate camp in the Israeli political arena.
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