Page 16-The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday, August 25, 1988
World-National
Angry response ifom Damascus-based factions
eement on new initiative could split PLO
[Cont'd, from page 1]_
ate their next move, fol-, lowing Jordan's King Hussein's decision to sever Jordanian ties and responsibilities to the West Bank in favor of the PLO.
The PLO is now trying to lay out a blueprint for a provisional government for the territories now administered by Israel.
The call by Khalaf for mutual Israeli-PLO
recognition brought an angry response from radical Palestinian factions based in Damascus, pointing to an ever-widening rift between re-jectioriist FLO groups and the mainstream Fatah. _
Disagreement oyer whether the PLO should embark on a bold new diplomatic initiative recognizing Israel could strain or even split the PLO prior to the Palestine National
Goiincil meeting scheduled for September, Israeli analysts said.
Radical PLO leader George Habash attacked Khalaf for offering concessions to Israel for free." The PLO's creation of a govemment-in-exile in no way means that the organization must recognize Israel, Habash said.
But even if Habash's Popular'Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) were to split once again from the PLO, Fatah
may^be strong enough to "go it alone" in a diplomatic initiative, said Hillel Frisch, a researcher specializing in Palestinian affairs at the Hebrew University's Truman Institute.
A draft resolution calling for mutual PLO-Israeli recognition could be a focus of controversy at the PNC, according to Asher Sasser,a-PLO expert at Tel Aviv University's Dayan Centre for Middle Eastern Studies.
"I-don't know yet if it (a resolution recogmzmg Israel) will be adopted, but something like that is highly possible," Susser said. "Arafat is generally-in favor of (Adulyad's) approach. But the question is how it would be, put forward at the PNC."
Arafat is coming under increasing pressure from elements within the FLO to accept UN Security Council Resolution 242, Frisch said. This is due to the FLO leadership's
report on Syrian Jews
VIC ALHADEFF
SYDNEY, Australia -
An unprecedented : address by an Israeli diplomat, on an Arabic radio program has provoked a furor within Sydney's large Arab community.
A ..massive crowd of angry Arabs gathered at a Sydney . mosque recently amci demanded that (he Arab program manager be sacked.tbr interviewing the Israeli. Australia's extensive Arab media have given front-page coverage to the issue, expressing wrath and indignation .at the legitimacy and. ex-' posure given- to. Isriiel's represeritatiye,
It was the first time a representative of the Israeli government had been interviewed.on the program. .
Th e CO rrcs po nd in g Hebrew-language program has: in the past broadcast excerpts from Kol Israel, including interviews''wTth PLO chief Yasser Ar-afat.
The rovy blew, up- when ' Israel. consul-general to Australia 2vi Gabay was interviewed by Nabil Tan-house, coordinator of the Arab radio program.
Gabay. who was born in Baghdad and spoke fluent-Arabic, made astrong plea for Arab-Israeli coexistence in the Middle East.
He punctuated his appeal with a telling quote from the' Koran, that "God listens to good thoughts and wishes." ■
The head of the r^dio station, Stephen Ker-kyasharian, an. Armenian, issued a statement saying he ■'. refused to, sack Tannouse.
"The purpose of this station is to provide a means of communication both \yithin and between Australia's ethnic communities and I believe the interview with Mr. Gai-bay is a good example of that," he said. "Members of the Afattic community have spoken on the^Hebre.w program and will no doubt do so again.^ Such dialogue should be encouraged."
Gabay said the cufrent vyar situation^between Israel and the: Arabs "could be changed into a peace situation. This could- have
been achieved long ago had
the Arabs accepted Israel as part of the Middle hast. Peace can be achieved only when the Arab leaders enter a direct dialogue with the Israeli leadership."
Gabay said he believed the niajority of Palestinians desire "a normal life of tranquility and want good relations with their neighbors. ' ;
. "However, in the last 70 years they have been led by .. extreme leaders who have brought not only destruction and loss of life, but have created a bad image of the Palestinians as a people. If the-Palestinian ■ leadership had accepted the United Nations partition resolution in 1947. as Isi-ael: did, they would have had a. Palestinian state with no wars and no loss of life."
[Cont'd, from page 1]
Syrian Jews, disagrees with much of the data given by the Paris group's deposition.
Gruen said several of the prisoners have been relea.sed since the report came to the West out of Syria. He said Khalife was released early because of a problem \yiih his legs, exacerbated by the beatings he received in prison. Gneje and Derzie were released in recent weeks. :said Grueh.
Gruen said that, in the past, all Syrians had theii^ religion written on . their identity card, but that the Jewish religion was written in big red letters. Now, he said, Jews are. the only Syrians who have their religion stamped, oh their identity cards.- _ .:
The Paris dossier-also; listed, two women, one a
minor, who were reportedly "married by force" to non-Jews: Tune Mayor. 24. "married by force to the son of an officer in the Syrian; army without her parent's consent," and Latifa Dankoury. 17. "married by force to a Palestinian neighbor, -without her parent's consent."
Gruen said, however, that "this i>s not.so.'.'.and that in fact the young women wanted to marry these, men. The "force." he said, was "force of circumstances" because of no suitable Jewish marriage partners in Syria, •
"Young Jewish men sometime.s refrain, from marrying untii they can be as.sured of raising a family in freedom," said Gruen. . He added that since the marriage of Tune Mayor,: the chief rabbi of Damascus,. Ibrahim Hamra. and
the Moslem qadi were able to convince Mayor and her husband to have the marriage annulled. The couple had been married in a civil ceremony.
Dankoury. however, married "the boy next door." according to Gruen, and:"thatmarriage continues.'' Her husband is a Christian. Gruen said.
desire to strengthen its vulnerable position in the territories and respond clearly to the challenge posed by King Hussein's disengagement from the West Bank, he said.
Throughout the intifada many West Bankers have noted the wide di.screpan-cy between their own success in adyahcing the Palestinian struggle and ihe ■ failure of the "outside leadership" to achieve any tangible gains for them, Frisch said.
Added Susser: "This is the iTioment of truth for the : PLO.,v The leadership can't afford to appear unable to take up the challenge put to them by King Hussein, and they must deliver in a way .that will reap gains for the intifada. They dp not want to. disappoint the West Bankers."
• In another development^ King Hussein reshuffled his 30-member royally appointed Senate, giving Jor-, danian senators a majority for the first time over their colleagues of Palestinian origin, officials .said. Israeli security-authori-
ties, meanwhile, have imposed new restrictions on the influx of money into the territories and have increased their supervision of international aid organizations in order to block PLO attempts to fill the vacuum left by Jordan's disengagement from the West Bank.
The new monetary restrictions include a $ 1,200 ceiling on the amount of money which can be received from abroad by any resident of the territories. Receipt of a higher sum requires civil administration approval. To prevent branches of the Cairo-Amman Bank^ from becoming conduits for FLO funds, tighter limits have aliso been set up on its operation.
To prevent the funnel-ing of FLO funds through international organizations, such as UNRWA, the United Nations Development Project (UNDP) arid: private voluntary organizations, the authorities have required them to submit more detailed rejports of their activities.
B'nai Brith Women of Canada
extend their deepest sympathy to
RUTH ROSE
National President and her family for the loss of her beloved father
HEIBER
Penny Krowltz Executive Director
Marcia Gurman President-Eleet
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