BAHRAIN: Israel Sunday agreed? To attend the west Asia peace conference in Madrid Later this
Month along with Arab and Palestinian representatives as Arab leaders led by Syria began con- salutations to chalk out & unified strategy for the meeting.
The Israeli cabinet gave approval to Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir’s recommendation to participate in the conference after day-long discussions in which hardliners resisted the move.
Israel Radio said Shamir told the cabinet that the country had no choice but to attend the meeting arranged jointly by the United States and the Soviet Union on Oct.30, The recommendation polled 16 ministers in favor, three against while the finance minister did not vote.
The hardliner housing minister Ariel Sharon voted against along with science minister Youval Neemand and the minister with- out portfolio Rehavam Zeevi.
Israel radio earlier said that the vote on the recommendation was expected at a special session of the cabinet on Wednesday. But Prime Minister Shamir went ahead with the voting Sunday, probably to remove any doubt in some quarters that he might back out if names of Palestinian representatives at the conference did not satisfy him.
The Palestinians were waiting for the Israeli govt to say yes or no before releasing their list.
With the Israeli Govt’s final approval, the convening of the conference has become certain as all concerned Arab parties including Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon as well as the Palestinians has already announced their acceptance of the meeting.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 25, 1991
