Settlement 'unlikely’ in Middle East

Press, 31 October 1981, Page 23

Settlement 'unlikely’ in Middle East

Prospects of a peace settlement in the Middle Blast are not good, according to a visiting political science lecturer. Dr Jacob Bercovitch, a lecturer at the London School of Economics who has been teaching at the University of Canterbury, was addressing a meeting organised by the Canterbury United Nations Association to commemorate United Nations Day. A big element in the Middle East conflict was the denial by Jews and Palestinians of each other’s national identity, he said.

“Each side tries to belittle the others because they fear for their own survival.” The Jews and Palestinians would have to work out their own solutions, but this could be helped by the United Nations setting up talks between the parties. Dr Bercovitch said there were three separate conflicts in the, Middle East. These were between . Palestinian and Jewish national movements, Arab States and Israel, and conflict amongst Arab States. It amounted to “one of the most explosive conflicts of our time." he said. The Palestinian and Jewish dispute was over “conflicting claims for the same piece of real estate.” Israelis felt they had a legal right to the land, while the Arabs thought that Israel had been “planted" amongst Arab States.

The present suspicion between sides there led to periodic outbreaks of violence. .

“It is volatile and dangerous, it cannot be allowed to deteriorate," Dr Bercovitch said. Five main factors contributed to the Middle East conflict. These were the establishment of Israel, the refugee

question, disagreement over how much territory each side should have, the question of who should control Jerusalem, and self-deter-mination for Palestinians living in Israel.

“To be a realist in the Middle East one must believe in miracles,” Dr Bercovitch said.

He did not offer any solution to the problems in the Middle East except to say that it would have to be worked out by the adversaries.

“It is better to search for a peaceful solution than to rely on violence,” he said. The United Nations might have to be more flexible in its handling of international disputes.