P.L.O. did hold talks with Israelis—claim

Press, 30 December 1982, Page 6

P.L.O. did hold talks with Israelis—claim

NZPA . Vienna . The Palestine Liberation Organisation did hold talks with Israeli representatives on a number of issues, including a possible exchange of prisoners, a P.L.O. official confirmed yesterday. But he emphasised that the P.L.O. was not negotiating directly with the Israeli/Gov- . ernment. Abdullah Frangi, who heads the .P.L.O. offices in,, ; Vienna and ih.Bonn v said that‘s prisoner exchange'.was one of many pointe hte organisation is trying" to settle, in contacts with the Israelis.

But he made clear that the Israelis involved were not members of the Government of Mr Menachem Begin, who has refused to hold direct

negotiations with the P.L.O. “One cannot strike peace With Israel,” said Mr Frangi. He asserted that Mr Begin was sick, and he would not be able to hold Israel’s fate in his hands much longer. Mr Frangi, interviewed by telephone in Bonn, refused to identify those involved in the talks or say where they were being held. He said the meetings, were still in progress, ■j . The United States magaZine “Newsweek” had reported in its latest issue that an unidentified Israeli politician had been assigned by Mr Begin to meet P.L.O.

officials in Vienna under the auspices of the- Austrian Chancellor, Dr Bruno Kreisky to discuss the release of eight Israeli soldiers.

Dr kreisky met yesterday in Palma de Mallorca with Yasser Arafat, the P.L.O. chairman, but neither party would comment on IsraeliP.L.O. talks.

A spokesman for the Israeli Embassy said that neither the Ambassador nor any of his staff had met with the P.L.O. He said that the embassy had no knowledge of such talks, a claim that left open the possibility that Israelis outside the Government may be involved. Mr Frangi, while not specifically saying who was doing the talking, said it had for years been the job of Issam Sartawi, a P.L.O. representative in Paris, to pursue contacts with the Israelis.