TEL AVIV: An Israeli Cabinet Minister yesterday [Dec 5] hinted that Israel might welcome the creation of a separate Palestinian State in the area now occupied by Israel on the west bank of Jordan.

Information Minister Israel Galili stressed in an interview with the army journal “Bamahane” the “importance” of talks with “the Arabs on the West Bank” and said there was “a strong possibility of reaching an understanding with the Palestinian Arabs”.

This was seen here as the first official Israeli reaction to an idea being canvassed by some but not all Arab leaders on the West Bank of the River Jordan that a 1964 United Nations resolution calling for the creation of separate Arab and Israeli states in Palestine should be looked into afresh.

Galili added: “There are prospects of finding among the population of the West Bank of the River Jordan entities likely to co-operate with us in formulating a joint programme for the future”.

The interview coincided with a report in the semi-official “Jerusalem Post” quoting official Israeli sources as saying that a “dialogue” had already begun between the Israeli Government and the Arab West Bank leaders.

The talks were being conducted for the Government by its newly-appointed aide of West Bank Affairs, Moshe Sassoon.

The Israeli sources were quoted as saying that local leaders were now seeking a peaceful solution “locally”, partly prompted to do this by a recent statement by President Gamal Abdel Nasser that the Palestinian problem belonged to the Palestinians.

Galili said that because of Nasser’s recent speech against negotiations with Israel, the mission of the UN’s Special Middle East envoy, Sweden’s Gunnar Jarring, was “virtually redundant”. Until direct Israeli-Arab negotiations started, Israel “must take steps for long-range consolidation”, the Minister added.

Galili admitted the possibility of future “successful and harmful terrorist activities” against Israel, but said security officials believed the West Bank population could be “prevented” from siding and identifying themselves with the terrorists.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2017