The Bush administration has again denied charges by some Israelis that the United States is trying to pressure Israel into negotiations with the Palestine Liberation Organization.
State Department spokeswoman Margaret Tutwiler said she and others in the State Department have said publicly “at least a hundred times that the United States is not and does not expect Israel to negotiate with the PLO.”
“There is no debate about that in our country,” Tutwiler added. “It has never been our view, and it is not what we are insisting they do.”
Tutwiler was commenting in response to a statement made in Israel by Yossi Ben-Aharon, director general of the Prime Minister’s Office, who said the United States could advance the move toward Israeli Palestinian talks by clearly rejecting any role for the PLO.
“We feel somewhat uneasy that there is a reticence upon the part of the U.S. government to say clearly that the PLO will not be involved in that process,” Ben-Aharon was quoted as telling reporters at a news conference. Such a statement by the United States “would solve the issue totally,” he said.
‘NEITHER OPTIMISTIC NOR PESSIMISTIC’
Ben-Aharon observed that when the Bush administration discusses the peace process, it always uses the term “Palestinians,” which some have interpreted to be synonymous with the PLO.
“If it is synonymous with the PLO, you have an obstacle; if it isn’t, then we are in business,” he said.
Tutwiler confirmed that a date has not yet been set by Secretary of State James Baker for him to meet here with the Israeli and Egyptian foreign ministers to lay plans for an Israeli-Palestinian dialogue in Cairo.
But she strongly denied reports that the meeting would not take place. She said working groups from the three countries are still discussing assurances sought by Israel and Egypt when they accepted Baker’s five-point proposal for the Israeli-Palestinian dialogue.
Currently, Israel and Egypt have opposing positions on who would represent the Palestinians and what would be discussed at the Cairo talks.
Tutwiler said Baker “is neither optimistic nor pessimistic” that the peace process will go forward.
“He’s a realist. He’s working on the matter. He’s trying to move progress forward. And he will stay engaged as long as there is reason to be engaged.”
Asked if Baker still believes there is such a reason, Tutwiler replied, “As of today, yes.”
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