OTTAWA : An Israeli Reversal

Representatives of Israel, its Arab adversaries and other participants such as the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada, the European Community and the Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council meet in the Canadian capital Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the Palestinian refugee issue. The meeting completes the second round of the Middle East multilateral talks following earlier meetings on the economy, environment, arms control and other regional topics.

It will be the first time that Israel attends the refugee talks. The government of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir boycotted the first round because Palestinians from outside the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip were allowed to participate. But the new government of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin agreed to attend.

The seventh round of bilateral talks--separate but parallel negotiations between the Palestinians, Israel and each of Israel’s closest neighbors, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon--resumed Monday in Washington. Both sets of talks grew out of the Madrid peace conference last year.