Bonn Wooing Palestinians

The West German government is seeking to demonstrate to the Arabs that its position in the Middle East conflict is no less favorable to the Palestinian cause than that of France, although Bonn has stopped short of extending official recognition to the Palestine Liberation Organization.

During the past 48 hours, Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher have reiterated their support for Palestinian self-determination. The Foreign Ministry released a paper citing more than 30 occasions when that position was stated by German officials, beginning with the first such affirmation by the German Ambassador to the United Nations in November, 1974. Meanwhile, Schmidt’s top aide in the ruling Social Democratic Party, Hans-Juergen Wisch-newski, sharply criticized Israel’s settlement policy which he called the main obstacle to peace in the Middle East.

Schmidt and President volery Glscard d’Estaing were due to meet in Hamburg today to discuss international problems, notably the Middle East. They are expected to review preparations for a Middle East initiative by the nine member states of the European Economic Community (EEC) which probably will be launched if no progress is made in the autonomy talks between Israel, Egypt and the U.S. by the May 26 deadline. The initiative is expected to take the form of a move to alter Security Council Resolution 242 in a way that would recognize the Palestinians as a political entity rather than a refugee problem.

Bonn’s intentions with respect to the PLO have become the subject of new speculation in light of the Austrian government’s extension of recognition to a PLO official in Vienna as a spokesman for the Palestinian people. Genscher said today that the question was not an acute one for Germany. A government spokesman told a reporter that Austria’s recognition of the PLO is not a model for West Germany.