Envoy Terms Israel Remiss on Arab Talks : Murphy Prods Rabin to Open Dialogue and Ease Up in Territories

U.S. envoy Richard W. Murphy criticized Israel today for failing to establish a dialogue with moderate Palestinians and for the tough measures used against activists in the occupied territories.

His statements came after a 2 1/2-hour meeting with Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin and military officials at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv.

“I’ve discussed America’s concern that there is insufficient dialogue, shall we say, between Israel and the moderate Palestinians,” said Murphy, adding that he was not suggesting that Israel talk to the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Murphy referred to sharp disagreements with Rabin over Israel’s handling of Palestinian activists.

Since the uprising began Dec. 8 in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, about 2,500 alleged agitators have been jailed for up to six months without trial, the homes of 84 activists have been demolished and 29 Palestinians have been deported.

The uprising in the occupied lands has left 237 Palestinians and four Israelis dead.

‘We Don’t Agree With Israel’

“We don’t think (that’s) the way to go. We don’t agree with Israel. On that we’ve had a very frank exchange,” said Murphy, who was to fly to Jordan later in the day.

Israel radio said that because of U.S. pressure, Israel agreed to file criminal charges against Faisal Husseini, a Palestinian who on July 31 was ordered jailed for six months without trial. The United States protested Husseini’s detention without due process.

Israeli officials claimed Husseini, who advocated dialogue with Israeli officials, was a senior representative of PLO chief Yasser Arafat’s outlawed Fatah organization.

A draft of a proposed Palestinian “declaration of independence” was found by Israeli police in his Arab Studies Center in Jerusalem and leaked to Israeli newspapers.

An Israeli official who demanded anonymity confirmed that Murphy and Rabin disagreed on the measures used by Israel in the occupied lands but said the subject was only a minor part of the agenda. He said the exchange lasted only five minutes.

Tells of Meetings

Speaking on Israel radio before the meeting, Rabin noted he had held several meetings in recent weeks with Palestinian leaders from the occupied territories, which Israel seized from Jordan and Egypt during the 1967 Middle East war.

Rabin said he is willing to hold talks with Palestinian leaders from the occupied territories, regardless of their demands, as long as they are not affiliated with the PLO.

But Rabin said the Middle East peace process is “totally frozen” and will remain so until after the Israeli and American elections.