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54
ACTION SS-25
INFO OCT-01 ADP-00 /026 W
——————— 127347
R 060945 Z APR 73
FM USINT CAIRO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2860
S E C R E T CAIRO 1025
EXDIS
DEPARTMENT PASS JIDDA
EO 11652: XGDS-1
TAGS: PFOR, SA, XE, EG
SUBJECT: THE FUTURE OF THE PALESTINIANS
1. IN CONVERSATION APRIL 4 ARRANGED BY SAUDI ARABIAN AMBASSADOR NAZIR AT HIS RESIDENCE, KING FEISAL’ S ADVISOR KAMAL ADHAM TOUCHED SEVERAL TIMES ON THE PROB- LEM OF THE PALESTINIANS. HIS MAIN POINT WAS THAT NEITHER THE PALESTINIANS NOR ISRAEL REALLY WANT A PEACE AGREEMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST. IN ALL THIS, I REFRAINED FROM TAKING UP THE REFERENCE TO ISRAEL, BUT SOUGHT TO ELICIT HIS VIEW OF THE FUTURE OF THE PALESTINIANS; I TRIED TO SET THE CONTEXT OF A RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ARAB GOVERNMENTS TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM.
2. THE FOCUS NARROWED DOWN TO THE ” MILITANT” PALES- TINIANS, AND ADHAM SAID THAT ARAFAT HAD EXPLAINED TO HIM THE PROBLEM HE AND THE PLO HAVE WITH THE HUSSEIN PLAN AS BEING ” WE ARE NOT PART OF IT.” IN OTHER WORDS, UNLESS THEY ARE INCLUDED IN THE DELIBERATIONS, THEY WILL NOT ACCEPT THE RESULTS. HE SAID THAT WHAT ” PALESTINIANS”– HE DID NOT SPECIFY WHICH ONES– WANT IS TO BE ALLOWED TO RETURN TO THE AREA ONCE CALLED PALESTINE AND THERE LIVE IN PEACE WITH THE JEWS.
3. I NOTED THAT THE USG IS ON RECORD THAT ANY SETTLE- MENT MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE LEGITIMATE ASPIRATIONS
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OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. THIS DOES NOT , HOWEVER, MEAN THAT WE REGARD ELIMINATION OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL AS A LEGITIMATE ASPIRATION. ADHAM SAID ” OF COURSE NOT– NEITHER DO WE.”
4. ADHAM REFERRED TO GAZA, AND SAID HE THOUGHT THAT, AS EGYPT HAD OPENED THE WAY, THAT PROBLEM COULD BEE [sic].
Analysis @debbieschlussel
