University of Virginia Library

Almog Cites Signs
Of Peace In East

By JERRY DRESNER

The repudiation of the
Soviet Union by the Arabs and
the success of the present
Arab-Israeli ceasefire are the
most promising signs of peace
in the Middle East, according
to Joshua Almog, Israel's
representative to the Occupied
Territories.

Mr. Almog spoke to a
crowd of about 80 people in
Newcomb Hall's South Meeting
Room Monday.

"Peace by proxy will not
work in the Middle East," he
asserted, "because this peace
must suit the needs of the area
rather than those of the
superpowers. The Soviet Union
instigated the war in 1967 to
accomplish its own ends, but
lately the Arabs have
repudiated the Soviets."

Stressing the new freedom
enjoyed by Palestinians under
Israeli control, Mr. Almog used
the term "administered" in
preference to "occupied" in
discussing the situation of the
Israeli territories.

Free Elections

"They are free to move
around as they like, they are
having free municipal elections
for the first time, and they
may even form unions now,"
he remarked.

"Israel does not want to
annex the territories but wants
to insure the freedom of Jews
residing there," he said. He
emphasized that persecution
still exists in Arab nations,
preventing actual freedom for
Jewish peoples living there.

"Under the Geneva
Convention we are allowed to
improve the conditions in these
territories," he continued,
"and since we feel that
democracy is an improvement,
we have instituted these
reforms. However, we have
maintained the Jordanian and
Palestinian laws as they existed
prior to the six-day war."

National Unity Lacking

Referring to the possibility
of an independent Palestinian
state, Mr. Almog maintained
that the Palestinians do not yet
have a sense of national unity.
He claimed, however, that
Istael regards the future
political and national
affiliations of the Palestinians as
their own concern, and he
noted the Palestinians' strong
ties with the Jordanians.

Mr. Almog believes that the
United States will play a major
role in an eventual Middle East
peace

"Patience will be the key to
the negotiations," he
concluded.