Mustapha Doudin, head of the Israel-backed Village Leagues on the West Bank, accused the United States today of acting against Palestinians who want to negotiate with Israel.
Doudin charged that many of the problems of the Palestinians were caused by policy-makers in Washington. He accused the U.S. Consulate in East Jerusalem specifically, of hypocrisy. The Consulate frequently declares its desire to achieve peace but at the same time it assists Arab extremists and neglects the moderates, he claimed.
Doudin, who has been invited by several Congressmen to visit the U.S. was reacting to a reported statement by the State Department that talks with him would not advance efforts to bring Jordan and the Palestinians into peace negotiations. He said the Americans had put him at the bottom of the list of possible negotiating partners.
The Village Leagues were established by Defense Minister Ariel Sharon to counter PLO influence on the West Bank. Israel has provided money and arms to Leagues’ leaders. Last month, the village Leagues, consolidated under Doudin, mounted a peace offensive of their own. They challenged the Israeli government to negotiate with them on the future of the occupied territories. They say they are the only Palestinians ready to negotiate with Israel.
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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.
