ISRAEL'S latest blitzkrieg in South Lebanon left at least 130 Palestinians and Lebanese killed, with about 500,000 driven from their homes.
But this has been followed by renewed US shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East and talk of an imminent agreement between Israel and Syria.
Meanwhile. Israeli cabinet ministers have for the finst time had an official meeting with a prominent Palestinians have threatened to withdraw from the delegation to the Middle East peace talks.
What is happening behind those apparently contradictory Political targets In fact. it is precisely these political developments, rather than any territorial gain or even the destruction of Hibullah, which were the purpose of IsIsrael has shown its intention and abilty to dictate the terms of any agrement in the Middle It expects Syrian President Hafez el-Assad to bring Hizbullan under control and accent al US-brokered settlement on the lines of the 1978 Camp David Treaty between Israel and Egypt. US Secretary of State you got for your money. This Z Arafat Warren Christopher is now working out the details.
PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, by apparently signalling his willingness to accept Israel's terms for Palestinian auton omy" in part of the 1967-occuAnger at Israeli attack pressurised PLO leaders Spied territories, sparked off a resignation threat by three members of the Pal'peace' talks (Faisal Husseini. Hanan Ashrawi and Sacb Erakat). Unlike delegation Shafi, a veteran nationalist respected by the Palestinian left (who had previously resigned but been turning) the three were considered Arafat loyal. Many believe that their threat, and Arafat's reported promise to consult the deleration more closely in fu ture, were a ploy deigned to restore the delegation's waning credibility.
According to a recent poll. half the Palestinians in the occudrawal from the talks.
A key to understanding recent developments was unwittingly given in the Sewist Chronicle by writer Chaim Bermant, who argued that dictators such as Assad. like Sadar at Camp David, could find it easier to make peace with Israe! than would the relatively democratic PLO.
Represion
The truth is that 'peace' on Isract's fermis can only be en forced by military strength and domestic repression The latest machinations dem. onstrate clearly that the rights and liberation of the Palestinian people are inextricably linked with the struggie for the mocra tion of the whole Arab world.