Christopher Offers Palestinians New Proposals for Resuming Talks

Palestinian negotiators say new proposals raised by U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher to break the deadlock over resuming the stalled peace talks are “worth looking at.”

Palestinian spokeswoman Hanan Ashrawi said several “brainstorming ideas” were discussed during a second round Christopher held Wednesday with a delegation of Palestinian leaders he had met with a day earlier.

During his visit to the Middle East this week, Christopher has been trying to get the stalled bilateral peace talks back on track. But he has been forced to concentrate much of his efforts on trying to resolve the fate of the 415 Palestinians whom Israel deported to Lebanon in December.

At a news conference Wednesday before leaving Israel, Christopher said, “I think we made progress in explaining the situation with respect to the deportees, indicating that a process is under way which will resolve that issue.

“And, without being able to establish any timetable, I’ll tell you we are going to be working on this problem over the next several days and weeks, and I hope that there will be an early resumption of the peace talks,” he added.

Yet Christopher cautioned that he left the Middle East recognizing there are still “obstacles that will have to be overcome.”

Christopher also indicated that Israel would not come under American pressure to be the party making major new concessions on the deportation issue.

“I am not in the business of pressuring the Israelis to do anything. It’s a government that takes action in its own interest,” he said.

‘TWO GOOD FRIENDS’

Later, addressing a dinner of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Christopher said he hoped there would be “something good to announce in the near future,” presumably referring to a date for resuming the talks.

He also said his meetings with Israeli leaders had “laid the basis” for a relationship between “two good friends, allies and partners.”

Ashrawi, speaking at a news conference in eastern Jerusalem, said she would not elaborate on the details of the proposals raised in talks with Christopher.

So far it has been the official position of the Palestinians that they will not return to the peace until the deportees now stranded in southern Lebanon are allowed to return to the administered territories.

But Ashrawi’s comments left the impression that the Palestinians are leaving the door open for a compromise deal.

She said the Palestinian delegates were discussing the ideas among themselves and with the Palestine Liberation Organization leadership in Tunis.

“We cannot make hasty decisions,” Ashrawi said.

It was understood here that Christopher presented the Palestinians with ideas to speed up the return of the deportees, as well as plans for improving the quality of life for Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The secretary of state also is assumed to have discussed improvement of human rights conditions in the territories and the American role in the peace talks.

‘MORE PROMISING THAN ANTICIPATED’

The meeting between Christopher and the Palestinians was held at the American Consulate in western Jerusalem.

Immediately afterward, Christopher rushed to meet again with Premier Yitzhak Rabin and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.

Peres challenged the Palestinians to return to the peace talks.

Otherwise, he warned, Dr. Abdul Aziz Rantissi, the leader of the deportees, will be the one who calls the shots in the Middle East.

Christopher told the American Jewish leaders that his discussions with both sides “dug deeper and were more promising than anticipated.”

He also said: “I’m doing all I can to bring the parties to the table. I’m giving it my highest priority.”

Harry Wall, head of the Jerusalem office of the Anti-Defamation League, praised the secretary’s remarks, calling them “very generous.”

“He stated unequivocally, here in Jerusalem, his support for Israel and his commitment to the peace process,” Wall said.