Egypt’s Foreign’ Minister Butros Ghali said today that the current negotiations over autonomy for the West Bank and Gaza Strip are not “deadlocked” but that “a green light” from the Palestine Liberation Organization to the Palestinians in those territories is needed before they will join in the negotiations. He indicated that U.S. contacts with the PLO were necessary to bring that about.
Ghali spoke at a press conference called by the United Nations Correspondents Association. He said the tripartite negotiations presently taking place between Egypt, Israel and the U.S. “will be useless without the participation of the Palestinians,” but the Palestinians will not participate unless they have the consent of the PLO. Whether there will be a “green light” from the PLO depends on contacts between the PLO and the U.S. and other parties, Ghali said.
He made that remark in response to a question about the message President Anwar Sadat gave Rev. Jesse Jackson to convey to PLO chief Yasir Arafat when the Black American leader was in Cairo this week.
Ghali stressed that Egypt’s goal is a comprehensive peace in the Middle East and Palestinian self-determination on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Questioned about the thorny issue of Jerusalem, Ghali said: “We are asking for the application of Resolution 242 to Jerusalem.”
He explained that this means the withdrawal of Israeli forces from East Jerusalem “which must be the capital of a Palestinian entity” when such an entity is established. Ghali conceded that Jerusalem is a “complex” issue which will require delicate negotiations to resolve, not only with Israel but with other Arabs as well. He did not elaborate but observers believed he was referring to Jordan.
Ghali stressed repeatedly that Egypt intends to proceed with and follow its agreement with Israel despite opposition from the rejectionist Arab states and opposition in Israel itself. He said Egypt does not pretend at all that she has found “the solution” to the Middle East conflict but only “a solution” and noted that the rejectionist states have offered no alternative solutions.
“We are not sure at all we will find a solution,” the Egyptian diplomat said, but no other practical solution has been offered us, he added. “We want a real peace and a lasting peace in the Middle East,” Ghali declared, emphasizing that Egypt is not at all interested in a separate peace with Israel.
He observed that in all past cease-fires, truces and armistices in the Middle East, from 1948 until the October 1973 war, Egypt was the first country to sign and was followed by the other Arab states. Ghali said that while Egypt has come under attack from the rejectionist states on the international level, it nevertheless has ties with most of the Arab world.
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