Shamir sends envoy to U.S.

Press, 26 January 1988, Page 6

Shamir sends envoy to U.S.

NZPA-Reuter Tel Aviv The Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Shamir, will send his Cabinet secretary to Washington today amid international pressure for a Middle-East peace conference and an end to a Palestinian uprising in occupied areas. The Cabinet secretary, Eliakim Rubenstein, was expected to brief United States officials on Mr Shamir’s fierce opposition to a United Nations-spon-sored peace conference during a five-day trip coinciding with a visit to Washington by the Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak. “The main issue will be how to continue the peace process and we know Washington is in favour of direct negotiations,” a Shamir aide, Yossi Ahimeir, said. “We can only express our hope that Mubarak will be convinced that he

has to return to direct negotiations.”

Mr Ahimeir said Mr Mubarak sent a message to Mr Shamir yesterday urging a peace conference as the only means to end seven weeks of riots in which 39 Palestinians have been killed and some 300 wounded in the Israeli-occupied areas.

Yossi Ben-Aharon, director-general of Mr Shamir’s office, told State television that Mr Rubenstein would be pressing for direct negotiations with Jordan and Egypt with possible United States mediation.

The Israeli Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres, who is in favour of a peace conference, was angry at Mr Shamir’s decision to send Mr Rubenstein to Washington, and his office said the move was aimed at countering a visit to the United States last week by the Foreign

Ministry Director-Gen-eral, Yossi Beilin.

But Mr Ahimeir said Mr Beilin represented only his Minister while Mr Rubenstein would represent the whole Government Mr Shamir’s Right-wing Likud bloc and Mr Peres’ dovish Labour Party share power in an uneasy coalition Government formed after inconclusive General Elections in 1984. The Soviet Union last week called on Foreign Ministers of United Nations Security Council member States to discuss the convening of an international peace conference.

The West German Foreign Minister HansDietrich Genscher, after talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, urged the super-Powers on Sunday to discuss a political solution to the ArabIsraeli conflict. Mr Ben-Aharon said Egypt and Jordan were trying to persuade European countries to put pressure on Israel to participate in a conference, which Mr Shamir opposes on the ground that it would force the Jewish State to hand back the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

“We need our relations with Europe. King Hussein and Mubarak are visiting there to influence Europe to pressure the United States or Israel, but the key is not in Europe’s hands,” Mr BenAharon said.