West Bank Arab leaders will try to present their views directly to Ambassador Gunnar Jarring, the special U.N. representative to the Middle East, when he arrives here, it was reported today. It is considered highly unlikely that the U.N. envoy will meet with local delegations on his first visit to the area.
(Mr. Jarring is scheduled to leave his Cyprus headquarters tomorrow for Beirut on the first leg of a tour of the capitals involved in the Middle East dispute. United Nations sources said in New York that this trip was solely for the purpose of making contacts. It was considered unlikely that the envoy would be able to talk seriously with Israel and the Arab states until after the Arab “summit” conference opens in Rabat, Jan. 17.)
It is believed that the West Bank Arabs want to petition Mr. Jarring not only for an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank but also to bar the return of Jordanian troops. Arab views, however, have not crystallized. There are those who oppose reunification of the West Bank with Jordan and want the establishment of a separate Palestinian entity, while others favor a return to Hashemite rule. Ambassador Jarring is expected in the Middle East later this week to meet with government leaders in Israel and the Arab capitals.
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