ABSTRACT
American policy has usually operated in the context and any substantial change—e.g., the end of alliance with Israel, loss of interest in the Arabs or passivity about the conflict—will convince one or another of the parties that Washington is dangerous to its vital interests. If the Egyptian-Israeli negotiations are any guide, the parties will be loathing making open concessions to each other and in any event they will look to the US to reduce their risks when they do. If Palestinian Self-Government is to play a significant role in resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict then it must be based on a careful understanding of that much abused phrase, the “Palestinian Problem.” There live throughout the original mandate territory Arabs who consider them to be “Palestinians,” that is, neither Jordanians nor Israelis. Israel presumably would use the election device as a way to come to terms with legitimate Palestinian representatives, even if they were members of the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
