Word: shamir
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That flimsy shred of optimism hardly disguises the fact that the Administration's plan is foundering, and one of the principal reasons for this is Shamir's obdurate opposition to key provisions of the initiative. While neither Israeli nor Arab leaders have officially rejected the proposal, positions on both sides have hardened as the 3 1/2-month-old struggle between Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces has escalated in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. The plan, as set forth by Secretary of State George Shultz, calls for an international conference on the Middle East, to be held this spring...
...three days of discussions with Shultz and President Reagan, Shamir focused his objections on the international conference, at which he feels Israel would be outnumbered by its adversaries. Shamir repeated his past offer to negotiate directly with Jordan's King Hussein under U.S.-Soviet auspices. By dwelling on the format for negotiations, Shamir deftly diverted the discussion from his far more fundamental objection to the plan: the "land- for-peace" formula that has been at the heart of U.S. peace initiatives since Israel occupied the Arab territories...
...Reagan Administration insists that its proposal is an indivisible package, carefully balanced to meet competing demands from many sides. "This is not a delicatessen, where you can pick and choose," said a Reagan adviser. While the Administration took pains to maintain a friendly atmosphere -- Shultz even invited Shamir to his home for a breakfast of blueberry pancakes cooked by the Secretary's wife Helena -- strain was evident in President Reagan's statement during the official departure ceremony at the White House. Those who rejected the plan, warned Reagan, would not have to answer to the U.S., but "they'll need...
Reagan's words sent a small shiver through the Israeli public, which is concerned about the country's worsening image in the U.S. Israeli news accounts played up Shamir's enthusiastic reception by some American Jewish organizations, but many U.S. Jews have criticized him as an obstacle to peace and for his government's harsh handling of the uprising in the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
...continued strength of Palestinian protest provided further evidence that despite the Shamir stall, the time was ripe to press for negotiations. The Administration quickly dispatched Philip Habib, a veteran diplomatic troubleshooter, to the Middle East, and Shultz himself may undertake another shuttle mission in an effort to break the deadlock. U.S. officials were buoyed by Hussein's attempt to persuade other Arab leaders to come to a consensus. "The opportunities ((for peace)) in the Middle East don't last," said Assistant Secretary of State Murphy. "They come and they go, and they're normally missed." Washington hopes that the opportunity...