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Friday September 13, 1996

Netanyahu defends Hebron, Likud policies on U.S. trip

MATTHEW DORF
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Secretary of State Warren Christopher teamed up with President Clinton to deliver the Israeli premier a direct message that the United States wants to see a quick resolution to the long-delayed turnover of most of the West Bank city to the Palestinians.

The United States also hopes to prod Netanyahu to issue more work permits to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Netanyahu's meetings with Clinton and Christopher on Monday coincided with the resumption of talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on implementing the self-rule accords, including the Hebron redeployment.

The redeployment, originally scheduled for late March, was postponed indefinitely by the previous Labor government after a series of Hamas suicide bombings in Israel.

Palestinians feel implementation of the redeployment is a test of the Netanyahu government's good will toward the peace process.

Netanyahu's visit here also came on the heels of an Israeli announcement that additional work permits would be issued, bringing the total number of Palestinians working in Israel to 50,000: This further eases the closure imposed on the territories after the first suicide bombing earlier this year.

Netanyahu spent about 12 hours in Washington, meeting with Secretary of Defense William Perry, Christopher and Clinton.

"Security in Hebron is not only an Israeli interest but it is a Palestinian interest," Netanyahu told Christopher.

Netanyahu told reporters that he discussed the "ongoing negotiations with the Palestinians and what we hope will be a resumption with the Syrians" with the Americans.

In an effort to deflect reports that the United States was pressing his government to act in Hebron, Netanyahu told Israeli reporters, "I don't feel any pressure. I don't think there will be pressure."

The U.S. administration has been accused by Arab states recently of taking a softer line with the Netanyahu government for fear of concerns about a backlash at the polls in November.

Clinton vigorously denied that there had been any shift in his administration's posture.

"Different governments may have different ways of pursuing the peace process," Clinton told reporters in the Oval Office before he met with the Israeli leader. But he said the only way to achieve lasting peace "is to work with the elected government."

After meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy in London over the weekend, Christopher called on Israel to take new "concrete steps" to advance Middle East peace.

As Netanyahu made the rounds in Washington, the State Department sought to keep up the pressure over Hebron.

"It's very important to meet your commitments. It's important to take actions," said State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns.

U.S. officials speaking on the condition that their names not be used said Netanyahu touted his government's recent moves, including his own meeting last week with Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. They said he noted that Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams resumed face-to-face meetings this week for the first time since the May election.

In his meetings here, the Israeli premier focused much attention on the stalled talks with Damascus. U.S. officials have tried in vain to secure a formula for resuming the Israeli-Syrian talks that Israel suspended in early March after Damascus failed to condemn the suicide bombings.

After meeting for more than an hour with Clinton, Netanyahu told reporters that the United States is putting forth a proposal to restart Israeli-Syrian peace talks.

"If President Assad is interested in negotiating peace, then I'm sure a forum can be found," said Netanyahu. He said it is "crucial" that neither Israel nor Syria try to "nail the other side to fixed positions to enter the negotiations."

In his second visit here since taking office in June, Netanyahu maintained a low profile and had little contact with the media.

When asked whether he maintained his insistence that the peace process remain a two-way street, he said, "Sure, everybody knows that already."

Netanyahu came to this country to deliver in New York one of the keynote addresses to the 40th anniversary celebration of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

Vice President Al Gore and Republican vice presidential nominee Jack Kemp were also scheduled to address the fund-raiser.

During his brief visit to New York, Netanyahu was also scheduled to visit the Queens grave of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

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