Peres Sees Wane of Palestinian Uprising

Labor Party leader Shimon Peres predicted today that the 28-month-old Palestinian uprising will wane once his party leads the government into a Palestinian-Israeli dialogue.

Peres also predicted that the Soviet Union will upgrade ties with Israel and allow direct Moscow-Tel Aviv flights to speed up Jewish emigration.

Peres’ comments appeared in two Hebrew-language newspapers as Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir of the right-wing Likud Party was making intensive last-ditch efforts to block his road to power.

Shamir was wooing defectors in advance of a Wednesday parliamentary vote on Peres’ confirmation.

Peres told the Al Hamishmar daily that once his government is installed, Israel will approve proposals by Secretary of State James A. Baker III for an Israeli-Palestinian meeting in Cairo.

Peres’ support for Baker’s ideas toppled the Labor-Likud coalition government March 15, when Shamir lost a vote of confidence in the Parliament. He had refused to agree to the U.S. proposals.

Baker’s plan was aimed at bridging differences between Israel and the PLO over an Israeli proposal to hold elections in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. The 1.7 million Palestinians would choose representatives to negotiate an interim agreement.

Peres told the mass-circulation Yediot Ahronot, “I estimate that the intifada (uprising) will . . . wane and that millions of shekels in the state budget can be diverted to constructive tasks.

“I can already foresee the fruits of opening peace negotiations,” he added. “Relations will be renewed with the Soviet Union . . . in a matter of weeks.” The Kremlin broke ties with Israel during the 1967 Middle East War.

The uprising has resulted in the death of 673 Palestinians from Israeli gunfire and 43 Israeli deaths as a result of Arab violence.

Peres indicated that he plans no change in Israel’s policy of refusing to speak to the Palestine Liberation Organization but he appeared to leave room for some indirect PLO involvement in the negotiations.