Skepticism Expressed That Hussein Will Enter the Mideast Peace Process

Political circles here are skeptical of reports that King Hussein of Jordan may soon enter the peace process and dismiss Hussein’s latest round of talks with Palestine Liberation Organization chief Yasir Arafat as leading nowhere.

The sources, reacting to a Voice of Israel Radio report that Hussein has informed the United States that he would join the peace process within “a matter of weeks,” “with or without Arafat,” observed that Washington has frequently spread rumors to that effect and they have always proven false.

The Reagan Administration was optimistic when Hussein and Arafat held a series of meetings last spring. But those talks broke off in April after Arafat failed to give Hussein authorization to represent the Palestinians in peace talks with Israel.

The East Jerusalem Arabic newspaper AI Kuds reported today that a delegation of 15 West Bank leaders met with Arafat in Amman yesterday and handed him a petition urging the PLO to enter the peace process jointly with King Hussein.

The delegation included Mayor Elias Freij, of Bethlehem, an influential moderate, and Hikmat Al-Masri, a former Speaker of the Jordanian Parliament who has good relations with Arafat. The delegation will present a similar petition to Hussein, Al Kuds reported.

ONE TANGIBLE OUTCOME OF HUSSEIN-ARAFAT TALKS

The Hussein-Arafat talks have had one tangible outcome — revival of the joint Jordan-PLO committee which provides financial assistance for development projects on the West Bank. The committee was frozen by Jordan nine months ago after the failure of the Hussein-Arafat talks. The committee is now expected to dispatch emissaries to Arab countries to raise money for its activities.

Palestinian sources here told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today that the focus of the present Hussein-Arafat meetings is the search for a formula for Palestinian representation in a Jordanian delegation to future peace talks.

The failure of the two men to find a formula last year was attributed to pressure on Arafat from Syria and hardliners within the PLO who oppose any negotiations with Israel. Since then, the PLO has split and Arafat, having been forcibly ousted from Lebanon by Syrian-backed PLO dissidents, may have nothing to lose by entering an arrangement with Hussein.

West Bankers nevertheless remain sharply divided. Pro and anti-Arafat demonstrations have been held all week in the casbah of Nablus, the largest Arab town on the West Bank. They are seen here as a form of pressure not to surrender the Palestinians’ right to make “independent decisions” to Amman.