In early June, Israel was waiting for the United States to suspend its dialogue with the PLO, following the attack on Israel's seashores by PLO elements. It also noted that an Arab summit conference, held in Baghdad, adopted a series of anti-Israel resolutions. Among them it called on the Soviet Union to halt immigration to Israel, not to allow direct flights to Israel and also called on Eastern European nations to forbid the transit of Soviet Jews on their way to Israel. The summit also gave Iraq a green light to take all necessary steps to ensure its national security. This was seen as total support for possible Iraqi military moves against Israel. In his Knesset statement, Mr. Arens lauded President Gorbachev's decision to let Russian Jews emigrate to Israel. Excerpts:
Last week the peace process in the Middle East suffered a blow. The Arab summit in Baghdad, convened by PLO initiative, turned into a summit of darkness. (...) At the summit, the Arab countries decided that Iraq was entitled to take what they defined as "all necessary steps to ensure Iraqs national security". thus the Arab states gave Iraq support for the aggressive policies of Saddam Hussein. Israel views this with the utmost severity and will continue to closely follow the practical ramifications of this decision.
PLO efforts to obstruct immigration to Israel were at the center of the, political discussions at the Baghdad summit. (...)
(...) I would like to take this opportunity to request that the countries of the free world condemn and reject this attempt by the Arab states and the PLO terrorist organization, to return the Jews to their bitter fate as a persecuted and homeless [people].
Those throughout the world and members of this house, who blame Israel for the lack of progress in the peace process, would do better to examine the decisions taken at the Arab summit in Baghdad.
At the height of the holiday of Shavuot,- the world received a further reminder of continued PLO involvement in terrorism. It is however not only Abul Abbas who engages in terrorism. (...)
In the directives given by the PLO to its recruits, attempts to hide Fatah involvement are often evident - Arafat continues [to engage in] terrorist activities. The facts, however, speak for themselves. From 15.12.88, until the present, the activities of 359 Fatah rings have been uncovered (...). Since December 1988, Fatah has carried out 201 attacks against Israeli citizens and against local Arab residents.
I hope that Abul Abbas's attempted terrorist attack will open the eyes of the entire world and convince them that there is no room for any dialogue with the PLO.
(...) The credibility of the U.S. decision, that no dialogue will be held with the PLO if this organization continues to engage in terrorism, now stands to the test.
The discontinuation of relations between the free world and the PLO and refusal to give legitimacy to this organization, will enhance the chances of furthering the peace process in the Middle East.
The Israeli Government has been and remains committed to its peace initiative of May 1989. The new government, once it is instated, will continue to take all steps necessary for the furtherance of all four parts of its peace initiative.
Israel will continue to act for the furtherance of the peace process in close cooperation with the United States. Those who speak of unprecedented deterioration in Israel-U.S. relations should see things in their correct proportions.
Lately, we have heard various pronouncements [made] by the countries of the European Community. At the same time, we failed to hear the voice of the countries of Western Europe following the acceptance of anti-Israeli decisions at the Arab summit in Baghdad, nor did we hear that the countries of Europe had taken steps of any kind against Libya, from whose ports the PLO terrorists embarked for the beaches of Israel on the holiday of Shavuot. We deeply appreciate the European Community's concern for peace in the Middle East, but the Jewish people, which lost six million on European soil and 17,000 sons in Israel's wars, does not need urging to move toward peace. The State of Israel, which has paid such a dear price in the absence of peace, wants peace more than anyone - certainly no less than the countries of the European Community.
The State of Israel greatly admires the President of the Soviet Union for opening the gates of his country allowing Jewish immigration to Israel and we cannot conceive that the USSR will change its emigration policy, thereby retreating from the policy of glasnost and damaging the image it has acquired in the Western World over the past year.
President Gorbachev also knows that legislation of the emigration law is a condition for the Soviet Union to enjoy "most preferred nation" status in trade with the U.S.
The State of Israel is a free country. The Soviet Union, which is undergoing a process of democratization, must understand that in a free and democratic country people are not directed to a given area, and each citizen chooses his place of residence.
The Soviet administration also knows that the number of immigrants from the USSR, settling in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip is minute, a fraction of a percentage point, and this can certainly not constitute an excuse or reason of any kind for a change in Soviet emigration policy.
Israel finds it difficult to understand how, during a period in which a conference of Arab countries becomes one of aggression toward Israel, a period in which the PLO proves time and again that it has not abandoned its methods and its aims, and the entire Arab World is rallying against immigration to Israel - there are still those at home and abroad who criticize Israel and blame Israel for the lack of progress in the peace process.