New Directions Volume 7 | Issue 1 Article 3 10-1-1979 The ounY g Resignation: What Does It Mean? Ronald Walters Follow this and additional works at: http://dh.howard.edu/newdirections Recommended Citation Walters, Ronald (1979) "The ounY g Resignation: What Does It Mean?," New Directions: Vol. 7: Iss. 1, Article 3. Available at: http://dh.howard.edu/newdirections/vol7/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Howard @ Howard University. It has been accepted for inclusion in New Directions by an authorized administrator of Digital Howard @ Howard University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. -• • • la •• Iii£ - II t II . •• ;. III 11 la •• • I •• I I •• •• I • - I • I •• I i II • • •• II I •• • L.: •• • • II • • - III III • • 6 •III r-.,.--"••••••••••••.........•r-., - ••• 1 I ,. I •••••• l. ."" I. I 'I I' -- 4. I ,.I. I , I .....•••• L I• I •• I I. I I II I I. I l, I •• •• ••• •••••• jl .- J Il •• -- • .~••.. ~-~~.Ill. ..-~ .~-,.r....-,. ..I -....,..-~-"'.,.. ~.,.. 1 I Ir ,. 11 I.' •• 1 , ~, ,.t.' I '.1'.1 •• 1 f .l I \ I •• 1 I '.I I l. 'I ~~ •• If ••II •• 1 I ••., il • I• • I. , •• l __..II j •• 1 I••' ••••• ..' NATIONAl An Analysis the PLO." (Washington Star, August 16, other members of the Arab bloc. This led 7 1979) to the crucial meeting of July 26. The meeting was discovered, the At- B~ Ronald Walters Although the substance of these dis- cussions have not been made public by lanta Constitution reported, by Israeli in- " any U.S. sources, the Jerusalem Post re- telligence agents who were following he resignation of U. S.Ambassador ported that the meeting was "lengthy and Terzi, and apparently leaked the informa- . 'to the United Nations Andrew Young tion to Newsweek reporter Milan J. Kubic detailed." More importantly, the last meet- . is significant, not only for the inci- ing took place just before Arafat himself in Jersualem. When Newsweek inquired t dent itself, but for its catalytic effect flew to Austria for a meeting with Austrian about the meeting with the State Depart- Tupon the development of a Middle East ment, Assistant Secretary of State Charles Chancellor Bruno Kreisky and Willy policy in the Black community and the at- Brandt, former chancellor of West Ger- W. Maynes telephoned Young, who re- .tendent ramifications this carries for do- many, in early July 1979. This meeting sponded with the official version that the mestic Black-Jewish relations. produced a formal protest from the Gov- contact with Terzi was "inadvertent" and While it is a fact that on August 15, 1979, ernment of Israel to the Austrian Govern- that no substantive matters were dis- Young submitted his "non-negotiable" ment but no condemnation of the role of cussed. In Young's words, "Nobody was resignation to President Carter, accounts Ambassador Wolf. (Newsweek, Septem- misled everybody knew what was going of this event rarely provide the context ber 3, 1979). on," that he was attempting to secure a within which it occurred. This was a con- postponement of the debate on the reso- text essentially defined by the attempt of Meanwhile, also in July, Ambassador lution. the U. S. to fulfill one of two objectives of Young was conducting del icate negotia- Although reports of such Israeli intelli- the Camp David accords by bringing the tions on a resolution in the UN which gence operations inthe U. S.as suggested Palestinians into discussions on the ques- called for a halt to Israeli settlements on by the Atlanta Constitution have been de- 'tion of U.S.-Egyptian-Israel i proposals for the West Bank, but at the last minute, the nied by U.S.officials, Young later asserted :their "autonomy." U S. representatives were instructed to that he had read a "virtual verbatim" ac- One early actor in this diplomacy was abstain. Youngexplained that the PLOwas count of the meeting at Ambassador U S. Ambassador to Austria, Milton Wolf, considering an endorsement of UN Res- Bishara's house in a State Department an industrialist and prominent member of olution 242 (a policy objective of several report, which was circulating at the the Cleveland (Ohio) Jewish community, U.S. Administrations), but that it needed highest levels as of July 30, four days who was reported to have had three "un- some tangible encouragement, which was after the meeting and two weeks before authorized" meetings with representatives denied them by the U. S. abstention. his reprimand by Secretary of State Cyrus of the Palestine Liberation Organization (Newsweek, August 27, 1979). A second Vance for the meeting. (New York Times, (PLO) previous to the Young resignation resolution, sponsored by Kuwait, was August 19, 1979). The first two of these meetings occurred drafted that affirmed both Resolution 242 Nevertheless, Young said that when he inthe spring of 1979and were said to have (which contains the important provision was made aware that his "official ver- been "social" in nature, but the third ap- on the legitimacy and integrity of Israel's sion" of the Terzi meeting was not be- pears to have been more substantive. right to exist as a state), and the right of lieved, he told the full story to the Israeli State Department spokesman Tom Res- the Palestinians to a state. Young's view, representative to the UN, Yehuda Blum, ton said that Wolf was contacted by Isa however, was that this resolution would so that Ambassador Blum would not be Sartawi, an aide to PLO leader Yasser provoke an acrimonious debate in the under the impression that Young had Arafat, to "clarify the group's position on a Security Council (at its August 23 meet- really lied to him about the meeting. Blum certain issue," saying that Wolf simply ing) when the U.S. would be in the chair, reported the substance of his discussion listened but made no comment and took and would force the U. S. to cast an em- with Young to the Israeli Government, no substantive position. He (Wolf) merely barrassing veto of the proposal. He,there- whereupon it issued a public protest to repeated the standing U. S. policy of pro- fore, set out to negotiate support for the the U.S. This protest, together with a re- hibition on recognition of or negotiations procedural step of putting off the debate. port of the meeting, reportedly angered with the PLO until it recognizes Israel's Ambassador Abdullah Yacoub Bishara Secretary Vance, who called Young to a right to survival. Then, appearing to pro- of Kuwait was approached by Young with meeting at the White House with the Presi- vide the full weight of State Department the suggestion of postponing the debate dent on August 15 under a welter of press protection to Wolf's activities, Reston but Bishara refused, saying that the rec- reports which detailed the meeting be- added: "I want to stress that Ambassador ommendation of Shedi Labib Terzi, the tween Young and the PLO, and many of Wolf on no occasion has sought any meet- PLO observer to the UN, would be influ- which included calls for his resignation by ingswith or any dialogue with members of ential in such a procedural matter with journalists and prominent members of the NEW DIRECTIONS OCTOBER 1979 8 Jewish communities in New York and this was done as a goodwill gesture to posal contained in the Framework for Florida. Young carried his resignation let- Andrew Young by saying: "we cannot Peace in the Middle East relative to the ter to the White House on the morning of imagine Ambassador Young being blem- Palestine question calls for four-power August 15 and the announcement was ished with a veto." (Newsweek, Septem- negotiations between Egypt, Israel, Jor- made by him at an emotional press con- ber 3, 1979). "We agreed to postpone the dan and elected representatives of the ference at the State Department later that vote out of deference to him. My only con- Palestinian peoples of the West Bank and day. cern was the enhancement of the status of Gaza. So far, however,Jordan has refused Ambassador Young." (New York Times, to recognize the Camp David agreements U. S. Middle East Policy August 25, 1979).Simi lar sentiments were and the accords have been denounced One of the major effects of the Young expressed by Terzi. by the PLO and also by pro-Western resignation was its impact upon the tenor While these sentiments were expressed Palestinian leaders. For example, the of U.S. policy in the Middle East, first which avowed deference to Young, it was moderate mayor of Bethlehem, Elias Freij, through actually achieving the objective also clear that another opportunity to press has said: "We'll accept nothing less than of postponing the debate on the resolu- the vote would arise in the near future, complete Israeli evacuation of this area tion offensive to the U. S.,and second, by and that an important intermediate objec- and Palestinian statehood. And remember opening up the possibility of a dialogue tive of the Arabs had been achieved-an my words: eventually, the Israelis and the with the PLO as a legitimate fact of U S. enhancement of the status of the PLO. U.S.will have to talk with the PLO." (News- diplomacy in the area. Given this fact, the additional time be- week, September 3, 1979). Also, King With regard to the UN Security Council came useful in cultivating allies outside of Hussein of Jordan used the forum pro- resolution, the U. S.attempted to seize the the Third World bloc and in enhancing the vided by the non-aligned meeting in initiative by sending Robert Strauss, spe- status of Arafat at the September non- Havana to again denounce the Camp cial U S envoy for Middle East,on a mis- aligned nations conference in Havana, David agreement and to call for a sion to obtain a compromise resolution Cuba.