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44 Pages
Thursday^ December 16,1993 Tevet 2, 5754 650
..Publications >«1ail Registration No. i683 Postage Ra.-ci at.Toronto : '^^'^^ ' '^''S''
JERUSALEM (JTA/JPFS) - Is
rael's security forces and Jewish settlers are braced for more violence in the territories in the coming weeks, in the wake of last Sunday's failure to begin the agreed-to Israeli troop withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and Jericho.
The date once called sacred was postponed, after Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and FLO Chairman Yasser Arafat were unable to conclude negotiatipns in time to meet the Monday deadline to begin implementing the Israel-PLO autonomy accord.
The two leaders announced their failure to reach agreement on several key details of the accord, including the geographical boundaries of Jericho, control of border points and other issues.
Rabin and Arafat agreed only to meet again in the Egyptian capital in 10 days. ;
There was also no agreement on expected gestures that would .symbolr ically launch the start of the accordl's implementation today i such as the release of Palestinian prisoners or an 'IDF withdrawal from a Gaza Strip refugee camp.
The ambience in Cairo was considerably cooler than the one at the Sept. 13 signing in Washington of the Israel-PLG accord. And this time there was no public.handshake.
Prompted by reporters to clasp Arafat's hand for the cameras, Rabin declined, saying only, "Later, later."
A sullen-locking Rabin told a news conference after conferring with
Arafat that a follow-up meeting had been decided upon in order "to give ourselves a certain amount of lijne to rethink" the:ir positions.
"We [willj meet again in Egypt in 10 days," Rabin said. "We literally need more time. Ten days is nothing in a conflict that has lasted 100 years."
At a separate news conference, Arafat said the two sides were .still committed to implementing the accord, signed in Washington in September.
"We agreed that all of us are committed to the declaration of principles (which form the basis of the self-rule accord), but we have some differences over some pbints and we agreed to have another ineeting," he said.
Arafat, who had previously warned of the dange:rs of not meeting the Dec. 13 deadline, tolcl reporters that 10 days were "not a long time,'' echoihg Rabin's downplaying of the delay.' '/
Both leaders pointedly refrained from setting a new deadline.
Asked at the news conference whether he feared the delay would be rnet with increa.scd violence in the ter-riiorics. Arafat replied:. "I hope not."
Only hours later, an Egged bus driver was. seriously wounded .south of Hebron .when terrorists opened fire on his bus. ■
Shai Bazak. a spokesman for the Council of Jewish Communities iii JUdea, Samaria and Gaza, asked af-
ter the incident, "How many warnings will it fake to wake up this government which is walking with its head buried in the sand?"
Rabin and Arafat also met for 30 minutes with Egyptian President Hbs-" ni Mubarak.
After those talks, Rabin held 80 minutes of private discussions with Arafat, the first time the two leaders have ever met alone. For the next hour, both leaders were joined by a retinue of advisers.
They said the committee for establishing a Palestinian civil authority in the territories was scheduled to return to the negotiating table in the Egyptian seaside town of el-Arish last Monday.
The secoiid committee, which will continue to discuss matters of economic cooperation, was slated to resume its meetings in Paris the same day. ■:■ ■ ■'
Jn a related deve;lopment, on the .same day as Rabin and Arafat met in Cairo, Palestinian spokeswoman Ha-nan Ashrawi announced she was leaving die PLC to set up an independent human rights group;
The new group would monitor the performance of the new Palestinian governnrient after it assumes authority in the territories. .
Ashrawi, who has for years been a high-profile Palestinian spokesperson with ties to the PLC, is reportedly displeased with what she views as Arafat's dictatorial style of running the organization. .
_ Asa result of the upcoming statutory holidays TTie CyA/offices will be closed Dec. 24, 27. 28 and 31 Early deadlines will apply for the issue of Jan. 6, 1994.
The editorial deadline is Tuesday, Dec. 21.
The deadline for organizations and classified advertising |s Tuesday, Dec. 21 at noon. For retail display advertising, the deadline is Wednesday,Dec. 22 at noon: The Canadian Jewish News would like to wi.sh all its readers a Happy Chanukah.
yTjf G/N will not publish the issue of Dec. 30.
CHANUKAH AT QUEEN'S PARK
Atop the cherry picker Rabbi Mosher iSpalter, administrator at Chabad Lubavitch and Chaim Waxman, vice-consul of Israel, light the first candle iii front of Queen's Park. Following the program, the Cheder Chabad Children's Choir entertained. The giant candelabra was one of 10 large menorahs erected in Metro Toronto by Chabad Lubavitch to promote awareness of the holiday. [Alrpn photo]
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PLO
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By PAUL LUNGEN
TORONTO - PLO chair Yasser Arafat has been invited to visit Canada sometime in the new year, the Ministry of External Affairs stated last week.
Rodney Moore, a spokesman for the ministry, said Canada's ambassador to Tunisia, Michel Roy, has been meeing with the PLO in Tunisia to lay the groundwork for the trip but that no firm date has yet been set. . The proposed visit is part of Canada's effort to seek out constructive ways to further the peace process. Moore said. Part of that effort is the allocation of 5)55 million to go towards improving the lives of Palestinians in the territories, he added.
Rob Ritter, national executive director of the Canada-Israel committee, the Jewish community's pro-Israel lobby group, said the
likelihood of Arafat's visiting Canada in the short term is not high, given the impending Israeli pullout from Jericho and the Gaza Strip.
The CIC ""believes that more dialogue is better than less. Canada plays an important role as a facilitator, trying to enhance the peace development process." he said;
Israeli embassy .spokesman Aviad Ivri.said. "Canada deserves every credit for its will and efforts to promote the Middle East peace proces.s and for offering its good .services to all sides. It seems that for that purpose. Mr.
Arafat will be visiting Ottawa. Hopefully it will contribute to making peace in the Middle East a reality for the benefit of all its peoples."
Ritter said he hopes that Canadian officials meeting with Arafat would "continue to pro-
mote confidence-building measures such as implementing democratic principles in all the efforts the Palestinians arc taking in theirown affairs."
Canada has been encouraging improved relations between Israelis and. Palestinians, through economic, social and cultural avenues. Ritter said he hoped Canadian officials would push those goals in meetings with the PLO chief.
Ritter said the meeting with Arafat could further solidify Canada's role as "an honest broker and facilitator of the peace process." Canada plays key roles in many of the multilateral talks involving Israel and its Arab neighbors, particulary on refugees.
Asked whether the CIC might seek a meeting with Arafat, Ritter said, "It's .something to think about."
Victor Borge interview
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Inside
Demographic changes
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Schindler's List review
Page 32