Peace Talks Likely to Resume, and U.S. Hopes Without Breaks

With the Middle East peace talks almost certain to resume in Washington next Tuesday, the United States is reportedly proposing that there no longer be “rounds” of negotiations separated by long recesses, but rather that the talks be ongoing.

The Palestinians’ reluctance so far to publicly announce they will return to the peace talks has apparently been overcome by Israel’s readiness to accept Jerusalem resident Faisal Husseini as the official head of the Palestinian delegation.

An official announcement of the breakthrough was expected to come midweek.

The American suggestion to make negotiations continuous is designed to avoid a repetition of what has occurred since the last round: The talks lapsed in mid-December when Israel expelled 415 Moslem extremists from the administered territories, and major diplomatic efforts were required to resume the negotiations.

U.S. officials say the frequent recesses produce a “negative momentum,” as the daily newspaper Davar put it.

The United States now favors an ongoing forum, with periodic breaks for rest and reporting home, according to Davar. Unlike the present format, such breaks would not necessarily occursimultaneously in each of the different bilateral talks.

Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s reported agreement to let Husseini take a formal role at the negotiating table has come under attack from the opposition Likud party, which fears the Labor-led government is making too many concessions.

Former Likud Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir also took Rabin to task in a radio interview Tuesday for agreeing to meet Wednesday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the port city of Ismailia.

But Rabin’s aides insisted that the prime minister will make no further concessions or “gestures” on the Palestinian front unless and until, the Palestinians formally announce their intention to attend the resumed talks.

ARAFAT CONFERS WITH MUBARAK

Reports from Cairo said the Egyptian president intends to seek an early end to the closure of the administered territories.

Rabin reiterated on Tuesday a Cabinet decision earlier in the week to keep the closure in effect for the time being, reviewing the situation on a weekly basis.

In practice, several thousand Palestinian workers are already being permitted back into Israel proper, but under strict security surveillance.

The government’s intention is that even when the closure is finally ended, the number of Palestinians working here be substantially reduced from the pre-closure figure of around 120,000.

Meanwhile, Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasir Arafat was in Cairo on Tuesday for talks with Mubarak and his aides in advance of the Rabin meeting. According to some reports, Arafat was accompanied by Husseini.

Arab foreign ministers are to meet Friday to give their final consent to return to the peace talks and work out a common platform.

In Washington, meanwhile, the United States began a series of preliminary meetings Monday with diplomats of the participating countries.

Sources here said Israeli diplomats will present to the Americans, and afterward to the Arab negotiators, new and more flexible Israeli positions on control of land resources and water in the administered territories during the planned interim autonomy period.

Still unknown, however –and still the key question as the talks resume — is whether Israel and Syria will come any closer to reaching common ground between their respective positions.

Israel is still insisting on a clearer and more comprehensive Syrian definition of “peace.” But Syria wants a prior Israeli commitment to withdrawal from the Golan Heights.

Israeli sources said this week that the Americans basically endorse Jerusalem’s view that the Syrian position is unsatisfactory, and that until Damascus spells out its definition of peace, there need be no substantive discussion on the territorial question.