The Bush administration expressed little concern Tuesday that Palestinians and other Arab leaders appear to have rejected Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir’s proposal for elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
“It is not unusual in the beginning of a process for different parties to stake out more extreme positions,” said department spokeswoman Margaret Tutwiler.
The Shamir proposal, made during his meeting with President Bush at the White House last week, would have the Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip elect representatives for negotiations with Israel on self-rule in the territories.
Bush endorsed the proposal, which would eventually lead to negotiations on the final status of the territories.
Although the Palestine Liberation Organization has rejected the plan, Tutwiler stressed her remarks were not aimed specifically at the PLO.
“We have said that this is a step-by-step process; you have to crawl before you walk,” she said. “Prime Minister Shamir came with an idea that we believe has potential.”
Tutwiler said there are a lot of questions to explore about the proposal during the days and weeks ahead. “We are asking all those who are committed to peace to give us a chance to explore and develop these ideas,” she said.
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