Hussein Mideast Peace Effort Fails : Arafat Stymied Talks by Not Recognizing Israel, King Says

King Hussein today said a yearlong effort to work with PLO leader Yasser Arafat to reach peace with Israel has ended.

“We are unable to continue to coordinate politically with the PLO leadership until such time as their word becomes their bond,” Hussein said in a television speech that lasted more than three hours.

Jordan’s king also said he had rejected a U.S. proposal to deal with Israel alongside non-PLO Palestinians. “Our unwavering position was: no separate settlement.”

‘Believes in Peace’

Hussein did not describe his future plans but said “Jordan believes in peace” and described Jordanian efforts to reach peace with Israel since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.

Hussein said the peace effort launched Feb. 11, 1985, with the Palestine Liberation Organization started “a grueling year of intensive effort.” He said it concluded Feb. 7, when Arafat ended a 13-day visit to Amman without meeting U.S. conditions for dealings with the PLO.

The principle conditions were acceptance of U.N. Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, which imply recognition of Israel. Arafat refused to sign them because they do not specify a Palestinian right to self-determination.

“Hinging on this agreement, of course, was an immediate opening of an American-Palestinian dialogue on the basis of which we would have continued our efforts for convening an international peace conference, to which the PLO would be invited to participate as a representative of the Palestinian people.

“Thus came to an end another chapter in the search for peace,” the king said.

Hussein said he had told Arafat in October that he needed a written acceptance of U.S. conditions--acceptance of the U.N. resolutions, willingness to negotiate with Israel and renunciation of terrorism.

‘Brethren Surprised Us’

“But our brethren in the Palestinian leadership surprised us by refusing to accept Security Council Resolution 242,” he said.

The failure ended efforts to move toward an offer of peace in exchange for Israel’s withdrawal from all land captured in 1967 and creation of a Palestinian state confederated with Jordan.

Hussein said Israel’s occupation of lands in 1967 was aimed at expanding Israeli territory while meeting “a security need arising more from psychological considerations than from those of space, distance and topography.”