In Washington, no lunch for Netanyahu
Israel-Palestine, International, 1/16/1998

The Israeli government is due to hold another meeting Sunday to make its final decision on the scope of the second phase redeployment in the West Bank, right before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaves for Washington.

The cabinet, however, gave Netanyahu a free hand in its Thursday meeting which had failed to discuss any details of redeployment plans. The cabinet ministers expressed support for a scenario which would give Netanyahu a free hand to maneuver in Washington without having to give precise answers to President Clinton. Netanyahu, they agreed, will travel to Washington without specific phase figures in hand, but with "maneuvering room."

Only Minister of National Infrastructure Ariel Sharon favored giving Netanyahu precise directives before his meeting with President Clinton. His intention, of course, was to make sure that Netanyahu does not accept any redeployment beyond the six to eight percent that Sharon wanted. Sharon claimed the US in the past assured Israel that only one phase needed to be implemented in the West Bank, contrary to US commitments, both verbally and in writing, that spoke of a need for a third phase redeployment in the West Bank.

US officials, it was reported on Friday, had sent messages to Netanyahu and to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, trying to enhance prospects for the much-anticipated Washington meetings. Maariv Hebrew daily said that Israel was told by Washington in those messages that a "significant" phase withdrawal offer would be rewarded by an arrangement agreeable to Israel with respect to the Palestinian demand for a time-out on Jewish settlement construction.

The message to Arafat, according to the same source, said that should he display "real intentions to combat terror infrastructure³ the United States will ensure that Israel lives up to its obligations to carry out the second and third phases of its troop redeployment in the West Bank. US sources in Washington were quoted as saying that in his meetings with President Arafat and Netanyahu, Clinton intends to present a comprehensive and clear American plan concerning how in his view accelerated negotiations for the final status can be taken up quickly.

US sources ruled out any potential pressure on Israel but hinted that President Clinton was apparently forced to have his meeting with Netanyahu and accept the fact that he won't have the chance to announce any breakthrough after the meeting. That is why Netanyahu's itinerary includes neither lunch nor dinner with President Clinton. Clinton will meet with Netanyahu for two hours at 10 AM Washington time and then the two will part without holding a joint press conference or having a lunch.

The summit meetings in Washington were scheduled some time ago and President Clinton was led to believe that his meeting with Netanyahu would be a smooth one and that Netanyahu would not embarrass him. Clinton's aides made the president believe that Netanyahu understood it wouldn't work the way he wants and that he would not be allowed to embarrass the US President with an indecisive meeting. This impression soon vanished after the meeting in Paris between US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Netanyahu. After the encounter, Albright told reporters that she had a pleasant meeting. Her aides later rushed to explain that when the lady says a pleasant meeting, she simply means it was a waste of time. Albright herself told her aides a few days later that Netanyahu gave her a lecture on security matters instead of speaking to the point.

A US government official said that during his meeting with Netanyahu, President Clinton will bring up ideas to move the peace process forward, but will not present a full-fledged plan. Netanyahu supporters met with Clinton in New York and expressed their concern that there is an intention to pressure Israel. According to one person who participated in this meeting, Clinton said pressure is not a tactic America intends to deploy. Clinton said he is a true friend of Israel.

Previous Stories:
  No more redeployment maps - Israel piles demands   (1/14/1998)
  3-way Arafat, Clinton - Netanyahu meeting ruled out   (1/5/1998)

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