European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 9, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 columns Barry Schweid the stars and stripes Shamir s proposal offers a hopeful beginning israeli prime minister Ytzhak Shamir s proposal to hold elections among palestinian arabs gives at least temporary momentum to american diplomacy in the Middle East which has been at a stand still Tor months. In principle the proposal won the endorsement of president Bush who called on the palestinians and the Arab Stales on thursday to think creatively along with Israel about ways to promote peace in the Middle East. The president also offered inc Good offices of the United states to move the peace process so even though Secretary of slate James a. Baker is nil packing his bags yet arid Bush s support for the cd Dion of palestinian leaders is qualified1 the administration can expect to be critically involved in the explosive situation for the indefinite future. Israel looks id the United states for support and inc arabs look for leverage from Washington on Israel. So he administration s involvement was probably inevitable in any event. Strategically Bush and Baker Are pursuing a gradual approach but they Are also beginning to make Shnir views Clear to the parties. They want Bra Elarid the arabs to negotiate directly with each other. Therefore they support a Middle East peace conference Only if it will not get in the Way of direct negotiations. The United slates will keep talking to the Palestine liberation organization despite Israel s protests using the dialogue to iry to lower tensions on the West Bank and Gaza. Last month. Baker suggested while testifying to a House subcommittee that maybe Israel should talk to the Plo in order to have meaningful negotiations Over the palestinian Issue. He pulled Back later but the idea is still out there and could come up again. On monday Bush declared in the presence of visit ing egyptian president Hosni Mubarak that Israel s occupation of. The West Bank and Gaza must come id amen Don thursday with Shamir at his Side the president got even tougher on Israel. He said he had told the prime minister we do not support an Independent palestinian stale nor israeli sovereignly or permanent occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. The first Point is shaded in Israel s favor. Shamir reiterated during his visit that a palestinian stale would pose an u a acceptable danger to Israel. The other two Points Are Sweet music to the arabs who demand a total withdrawal from the lands Israel captured during the 1967 six Day War. I revious . Presidents have said an Overall Sci elem Cal should involve land for peace that meant is Rael should give up territory in Exchange for Arab rec r. W. Apple or. Ignition. week seemed to be Laking the . Posi Tion a couple of decisive Steps further. His. Statements might preclude Israel retaining any of the territory. If he two sides Ever get to the peace table inc issues of palestinian statehood and israeli sovereignly will be hotly contested. Bush s statement is Advance notice to arabs and israelis How the United Stales is Likely to come Down on these Points. Out in the meantime Shamir s proposal to hold elections among the. Palestinians is controversial enough to keep everyone including the United Stales Busy there Are lots of questions to be answered. When would the election be held Haw would in be supervised and most important of All will i Al slim tins accept Shamir s invitation Shamir said Al a news conference thursday the. Elec Tion should be held in a Calm atmosphere. He would like the palestinians to suspend their revolt. But the continuing uprising in the territories May he their strongest card. Shamir also said International supervision of the balloting would not be necessary lie said israelis and palestinians would election and that it would be held within Israel s democratic traditions. Will the palestinians participate Shamir said he thought they would despite the Plo s objections. That remains to be seen. the end of a trying Day Baker said he still Felt encouraged. There will be a number of specific questions with respect to which there will be differences of opinion he told reporters but he said Shamir s election proposal affords an Opportunity for a process to Buccin something if i May say so thai we did not Bush urged of advocate bolder foreign policy As startling actions arid proposals by the soviet Union and some of us allies spread around the world pres sure s arc mounting on the Bush it Mims i ration to abandon its passive posture and respond to Moscow s initiatives. Each new front Page development Radical economic change in Hungary the withdrawal of soviet troops from Afghanistan on Central Ameri Ca elections in the soviet Union itself produces fresh calms for an imaginative american response and this week the Calls have reached a Crescendo. The Promise of free elections in Poland in particular seems to set before the administration a Platter full of in Sistini questions most of them entering on the american response to the polish economic crisis. So far however Washington has said to nothing about Whitner it will be willing to forgive debt or make fresh Loans or pave the Way for major new in vestment. President Bush and his main foreign policy associates Secretary of state James a. Baker and Brent scow Croft the National Security adviser have made it Plain from the Day they took office that they intended to Lake their time. They say they Hove no interest in spectacular Early breakthroughs. What they want they insist is slow lasting Progress based on careful negotiation. Publicly the administration routinely explains us Lack of substantive response to soviet initiatives by pointing to its comprehensive review of foreign policy. For which the president has set a mid May deadline so he can digest the find Ings and discuss them Wilh nato Lead ers on his trip to Western Europe in May and june. Privately senior officials assert that there is no need to Rush in any Case. They argue that Mikhail s. Gorba Chev the soviet Leader has no Choice but. To continue the process of liberalization regardless of what the United slates does in the Short term. One policy maker commented that All this is being driven by soviet inter Nal politics not by what we might de dul outside the top ranks of the administration experts Here arc asking How Long Washington can successfully play the Tortoise to Moscow s Hare. This is a very very cautious administration despite Bush s and scowcroft s Long experience in foreign relations said rep. Lee a Hamilton d-lnd., n member of the House foreign affairs committee. But my sense is that we be reached the Point where we need to Stop reflect ing and Start acting he said. We have to get at it respond to their proposals lest their intentions Advance our own proposals keep the guard up be wary but make a son. Claiborne Pell. D-r.i., who Heads the Senate foreign relations commit tee said he thought the administration should be much More responsive than i l has been so far. He raised the possibility Hal sluggish responses by Bush might Hurt Gorba Chev arguing thai if he in t Able to show results the Vole of Confidence rep resented by the soviet voting May just fade Why he thought the administration was moving so slowly Pell said n was partly til slowness of the in producing the policy re View which is just what they in it but he also suspected he said that there is a worry on the administration Spart that what is happening with the russians in t permanent that it might be reversed and so they Don t want to get on the other hand Pell said he welcomed signs that Bush and Baker would move carefully with regard to Poland. As important As it is to provide help to ext Ern Europe Pell said you must not give the impression thai your interest lies in exploiting on arms control a senior con Gressional arms con rpm expert said that he had no real idea where the administration was putting its emphasis whether on the nuclear arms negotiations like the Reagan administration or on conventional forces reductions or on something else a key debate insiders said centers on the question of potential american influence on Gorbachev s present and future courses of action. One Camp argues that american influence is marginal inc other that what the United states docs matters a tort t
