The Knesset, by an overwhelming majority, passed a bill today outlawing meetings between Israelis and representatives of terrorist organizations. But two dissenting Knesset members indicated they were about to challenge the new law by doing precisely what it forbids.
The Knesset, still in summer recess, was recalled for a special session to act on the measure and also to extend current wage restictions. The bill was supported by most Likud Mks, the religious parties and the rightwing Tehiya Party. It also had the backing of Labor Party hawks. Though many Laborites criticized it, all voted in favor of the measure because they were bound to by their coalition agreement with Likud.
The only Labor MK to cast a negative vote was an Arab, Abdul Wahab Darawshe. He was joined by the leftwing opposition parties which argued that the law made it impossible to establish any dialogue with the Palestine Liberation Organization and would thus prove an obstacle to peace.
The two members of the Progressive List for Peace, Mattityahu Peled and Mohammad Miari, were absent today. But they released a statement saying they were now in Geneva to attend a United Nations conference and would be meeting there with PLO representative Shafik Al-Hout. That meeting will provide the first test of the effectiveness of the new law.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
