Cabinet Agrees to U.S. Formula for Palestinian Presence at Geneva Opening

The Cabinet agreed tonight to an American plan that would allow Palestinians to attend the Geneva conference as part of a pan-Arab delegation on condition that their presence is limited to the ceremonial opening session and the no members of the Palestinian Liberation Organization are included. The compromise formula which President Carter suggested to Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan at their White House meeting last week, was reportedly approved 10-1 at today’s Cabinet meeting. Only Agriculture Minister Ariel Sharon was opposed.

According to the plan, the unified Arab delegation consisting of representatives of Egypt, Jordan and Syria would also include non-PLO Palestinians, possibly selected by Jordan from local Arab leaders on the West Bank. They would meet with the Israeli delegation only for the opening ceremonies. Negotiations would begin at subsequent sessions when the Arab delegation split into national groups for bilateral talks with Israel. The Palestinians then, presumably, would be members of one or another delegation, most likely the Jordanian. Israel has said in the past that it would deal with Palestinians who are part of a Jordanian delegation.

U.S. WARNING

In accepting the plan, Israel is known to have insisted that there be no change in Security Council Resolution 242 to make it acceptable to the PLO. Informed sources here said U.S. officials told Dayan that an Israeli rejection of the plan could have harmful effects on its relations with the U.S.

(Appearing on the CBS television program “Face The Nation” in Washington today, Dayan said his government’s acceptance of the compromise in no way reflected a softening of its position to have no dealings whatever with the PLO. He said Israel utterly rejects negotiations with that group whether or not it accepts Resolution 242 or whether or not it recognizes Israel’s existence. At the same time he indicated that Israel would not be overzealous in probing for PLO sympathies among the Palestinians who attend the Geneva opening. “If they sympathize in their heart with the PLO we cannot check that,” he said.)

Meanwhile, West Bank mayors whose sympathies lie with the PLO agreed after a meeting today that they would not go to Geneva to represent the Palestinians. They reportedly decided to send messages to the Geneva co-chairmen, the U.S. and the Soviet Union, that the sole, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people was the PLO.