Italian leaders now on a one-week visit to the United States agreed with King Hussein of Jordan on Monday that the next move in the Middle East peace process is up to Israel.
The Jordanian ruler conferred here with Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti, Foreign Minister Gianni de Michelis and President Francesco Cossiga.
Cossiga and Andreotti flew Tuesday to Washington, where presumably the Middle East will figure in their talks with U.S. officials.
They appeared to concur in Hussein’s analysis of the situation in light of the Israeli government’s rejection last Friday of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s 10-point guideline for an Israeli-Palestinian dialogue in Cairo.
The visiting monarch warned that the Palestinian uprising in the territories, or intifada, will turn into a full-fledged revolt and only the extremists will benefit.
“The process begun in December 1987 by the intifada is irreversible,” he declared. “All over the world the climate has changed, except in the Middle East, and this is inconceivable.”
Hussein insisted it is up to Israel to make the next move to unfreeze the peace process. Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasir Arafat has done all that he is able, he said.
Israel’s rejection of Mubarak’s proposals does not mean that it is up to the Arabs to make another initiative, Hussein added.
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