Israel Seeks Political Knockout of PLO : Arafat’s ‘True Colors’ Shown in Ship Hijacking, Officials Say

Israeli officials Sunday stepped up their efforts to use the hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro by Palestinian terrorists, as well as other recent terrorist episodes, to strike a mortal political blow at the Palestine Liberation Organization and its leader, Yasser Arafat.

Briefing reporters before Prime Minister Shimon Peres’ planned trip to Washington later this week, senior officials in Jerusalem confirmed that Peres is expected to cite the affair as proof that the PLO has finally ruled itself out as a partner in any Mideast peace negotiations.

The officials spoke on condition that they not be identified, and one of them said: “Let’s assume the point will be made that the fact that the PLO has proved its true colors could be used as a turning point for the peace process, in order to embark on a path that will lead to direct negotiations between Israel and a Jordanian-Palestinian delegation without PLO participation.”

The United States has accused a top Arafat aide, Abul Abbas, of masterminding the operation that resulted in the hijacking, and Abbas himself was quoted Sunday as saying that the hijacking was a planned assault on Israel that went awry.

Interviewed in Belgrade by Egypt’s Middle East News Agency, Abbas said the four hijackers boarded the Italian ship bound for Israel to carry out “a suicide mission” in that country. He said the plot misfired when the hijackers were discovered aboard ship. After seizing the Achille Lauro, the hijackers murdered Leon Klinghoffer, 69, a wheelchair-bound American tourist.

Israel earlier said it has “absolute, complete, and irrefutable proof” that Arafat knew all about a plan to use the Italian ship as a means of launching a terrorist attack at the Israeli port of Ashdod last week. Israel also has said the plan was foiled when the terrorists were discovered by a member of the ship’s crew, whereupon the four Palestinians decided to hijack the vessel.

Arafat has denied being involved and condemned the hijacking.

The English-language Jerusalem Post published an analysis by its diplomatic correspondent Sunday saying that Israeli officials see U.S. anger over the hijacking and Klinghoffer’s murder as “a public relations bonanza which must be used to the hilt.”

Early this year, Arafat and Jordan’s King Hussein agreed on a “joint framework” for Mideast peace negotiations. Hussein and President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt have pressed Washington to accept that move as proof of Arafat’s moderation and as what they said could be a last chance to reach a peaceful solution to the Palestinian problem.

Israel has always vigorously opposed any PLO involvement in the peace process, branding Arafat’s group as purely a terrorist organization. Jerusalem rejects arguments that recent terrorist assaults may be the work of radical Palestinians, not under Arafat’s control, who want to undercut the peace process.

Gained as Political Force

Israel’s war against PLO strongholds in Lebanon, begun with its invasion of that country in June, 1982, virtually destroyed the PLO as an effective military force. But in some ways, the war served to strengthen Arafat as a political force internationally.

Since pulling most of its forces out of Lebanon last summer, Israel has stepped up efforts to undercut the PLO politically. It has tried to drive a wedge between Arafat and Hussein and to head off efforts by Hussein and Mubarak to arrange a meeting between U.S. representatives and a joint Jordanian-Palestinian delegation whose Palestinian members were handpicked by Arafat.

Israeli officials have cautioned Jordan publicly and privately against allowing Arafat loyalists to open new offices in Amman, the Jordanian capital. Israel’s attack against Arafat’s headquarters near the Tunisian capital of Tunis earlier this month was seen here, in part, as a warning to Hussein.

‘Public Relations Bonanza’

Jerusalem’s efforts to blame Arafat for a recent upsurge of terrorist attacks and attempts in Israel and on the occupied West Bank of the Jordan River have been only partly successful, and it is in that context that the Achille Lauro affair, and the Sept. 25 murders of three Israelis in Larnaca, Cyprus, are what the Jerusalem Post called a “public relations bonanza.”

A senior official said here Sunday: “We do have indications that while earlier, repeated claims by Arafat of non-involvement (in terrorist incidents) were given some credit . . . recent events and information from reliable sources (have led) Washington and others to conclude that the highest levels of the PLO were at least involved, if (they have) not sanctioned these incidents.”

PLO involvement “includes Arafat,” the officials stressed.

They added that Israeli-supplied evidence of Arafat’s involvement “was taken quite seriously by Washington and other relevant governments. . . . We would not be surprised if a process of reassessment would take place in the various capitals that had a different position until the last few weeks.”

While Israel may find a sympathetic ear in Washington, the officials offered no evidence that Hussein is reconsidering his relationship with Arafat.

Annoyed With Italians

Officials here are clearly upset that Italian authorities, in spite of strenuous U.S. efforts to have him arrested, allowed Abbas to leave Italy.

They are also distressed that they have not been able to persuade Britain’s Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to reverse her government’s decision to meet this week with two top PLO officials. The talks, scheduled with PLO executive committee members Eli Khoury and Mohammed Milhem, who already have arrived in Britain, are seen here as a serious setback to Israel’s efforts to isolate the PLO.

Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir said Friday during a brief stopover in London on his way home from the United Nations that Britain would be “strengthening international terrorism” by going ahead with the talks.

British Foreign Secretary Geoffrey Howe has defended the meeting, asserting that the two PLO officials have publicly repudiated terrorism and violence.