W. Asia talks get under way

By Kesava Menon

MANAMA (BAHRAIN) JAN. 21. The revival of Israeli-Palestinian talks has come too late for former U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton, who had hoped to sign off his term in office with a last major signing ceremony on the White House lawns. But, if successful, these talks might occur just in time to enable Israel's Prime Minister, Mr. Ehud Barak, to hang on to his office. Then again, even a peace deal with the Palestinians might not be enough to save Mr. Barak's premiership.

Israel's peace Cabinet, that is the group of Ministers who are intimately involved in the negotiations, last night agreed to join the Palestinian Authority in a 10-day marathon talk to try and clinch a final agreement. The Palestinian Authority President, Mr. Yasser Arafat, had suggested the holding of this marathon session when he met Israel's Foreign Minister, Mr. Shlomo Ben Ami, in Cairo on Wednesday. Israel, which was supposed to respond by Friday, postponed its decision following the murder of a youth they believe was committed by the Palestinians. With last night's decision, negotiators representing the two sides are expected to begin discussions tonight in an Egyptian venue either the sea-side resort of Taba or a site closer to Cairo.

Even before the talks have got under way unnamed Palestinian officials have been quoted as saying that progress, even breakthroughs, had been achieved on some of the key issues. The vexed issue of sovereignty over the Temple Mount/Al Aqsa complex in Jerusalem was among the issues that had either been settled or were close to being resolved, according to these sources. Israel was also said to have offered further land concessions in the West Bank so as to ensure contiguity between Palestinian populated areas.

However Israeli officials have offered an entirely different perspective, insisting that the talks so far had focussed on ways of ending the violence that has gripped the territories since Sept. 28 last year.

From the new line that Mr. Barak is taking in the campaign for the February 6 election, it is fairly clear that he is gambling his future on the deal even if it provides the Palestinians with concessions that most Israelis had thought they would never have to make. Mr. Barak is campaigning on the line that Israel must give up its delusions that they can cling on to most of what they had taken from the Palestinians since 1967. Final peace with the Palestinians will be achieved only if Israel recognises that they will have to make what they have till now considered as heavy ``concessions''. Mr. Barak still insists that he will not sign a deal which includes handing sovereignty over the Temple Mount/Al Aqsa complex to the Palestinians and the ``right of return'' of Palestinian refugees. But these are the very issues that have to be discussed with the Palestinians in the coming talks.

While Mr. Barak apparently hopes that the deal can be made and believes that he can still sell it to his people there might just not be enough time for him to reverse the momentum of the election which is totally against him at this time. Opinion polls still show that about 60 per cent of the Israeli people are still in favour of an agreement though they are now aware what that agreement will entail in terms of ``concessions''.

But Mr. Barak still trails behind his rival, Mr. Ariel Sharon, by almost twenty percentage points. One option for Mr. Barak is to withdraw from the race in favour of Mr. Shimon Peres. Israel electoral law permits such a withdrawal till 96 hours before the election. Mr. Peres is neck and neck with Mr. Peres in the opinion polls and though he has a horrible electoral record a Peres-Barak combination (ie. an understanding that Mr. Barak will be Mr. Peres' Defence Minister) might still be a winning ticket.

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Section  : International
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