Palestinians worried of possible deal with Syria

Many Palestinians who fear that a peace deal between Syria and Israel might finally be reached at their expense are worried, but not that much. Palestinian officials have lately asked the US Administration to ensure that only the PLO would be authorized to negotiate whatever settlement that relates to Palestinian refugees living in Syria and in Lebanon. The other request that Palestinian officials have already put in with the Clinton Administration is to pressure Israel into not delaying or obstructing any deal with the Palestine government under the pretext of being over occupied with the Syrian track.

Palestinian sources confirmed Thursday that President Yasser Arafat is due in Washington before the end of this month in what is seen by Palestinian officials as a US attempt to soothe President Arafat and ease his worries.

There cannot be any peace treaty in the region if the question of Palestinian refugees is not settled, warned Palestinian official Faisal Husseini, the PLO Executive Committee member and the Palestinian minister in charge of the Occupied Jerusalem affairs. Husseini was referring to an Israeli Knesset move in which 61 members of Israel's parliament signed a proposed bill sponsored by the right wing Likud party denying the right of the Palestinians to return. But implicitly speaking, Husseini was also referring to reports that suggested both Israel and Syria might discuss the status of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and Syria without having to involve the PLO in those negotiations. Husseini said that the Barak government has to suppress this proposal "so that we can continue with the peace process on the way of achieving comprehensive peace." He stressed that the gap is still wide in positions of the Palestinians and Israel with regard to the Palestinian refugees and said that the Palestinians will reiterate their demands and positions in every possible platform, including the upcoming Moscow round of the multilateral talks.