Shamir Aide Accuses U.S. of ‘One-Sided’ Mideast Stance

With language usually reserved for countries in frequent diplomatic disfavor, a top aide to Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir accused the United States on Wednesday of taking a “one-sided” approach to resolving the Middle East conflict by singling out Israel with pressure to attend peace talks.

Yosef Ben-Aharon argued that the effort to link a freeze of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to an end of the Arab economic boycott of Israel has undermined Washington’s own plans for negotiations.

The leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies who met in London this week supported a U.S. proposal to end settlement activity and the boycott. Shamir rejected the call.

“There is an imbalance, a one-sided behavior by the United States, which can only cause harm,” Ben-Aharon told The Times. “We have become used to this kind of treatment. We will wait and see.”

Secretary of State James A. Baker III is to arrive here Sunday for his sixth visit to Israel during a four-month stretch of shuttle diplomacy. He is expected to bring approval from Arab states of a compromise format for peace talks that would bring Israel face to face with several foes for the first time.

Israeli objections to procedural issues seem to be giving way to concerns over the focus of the talks themselves, which members of Shamir’s government believe will compel Israel to surrender occupied land. “One element--land for peace--is being singled out. Promoting this idea is terrible for the prospects of the peace process,” Ben-Aharon said.

Ben-Aharon declined to tip his government’s hand in advance of the Baker visit.