King Hussein of Jordan asked French President Francois Mitterrand here Tuesday to use his influence with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to curb the departure of Jews from the Soviet Union.
Hussein says they should not be allowed to leave without assurances that they will not settle in the West Bank, Gaza Strip or East Jerusalem.
Jordanian sources said the king also asked Mitterrand to seek a European consensus on the issue, which he feels could jeopardize the entire Middle East peace process.
Hussein is scheduled to visit Washington and London for meetings with President Bush and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
He said at a news conference here that the mass arrival of Soviet Jews in Israel and their settlement in the West Bank is changing the geographic and demographic map of the area and creating a situation “unacceptable” to the Arab world.
The Jordanian monarch said he would try to convene an Arab summit conference to adopt a joint stand on the issue.
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