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Strained relations By HERB KEINON (October 26) "At Wye Plantation," Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat could be excused for telling his close advisers, "I forged a closer alliance with the US." One of the byproducts of the Wye summit and agreement, a senior American official said, has been a softening of the US position toward a Palestinian state. Arafat, in this official's eyes, was the clear winner of the summit. Not only does Arafat get an IDF withdrawal, but he also will merit a visit by President Bill Clinton when the Palestinian National Council convenes to amend the Palestinian Covenant. Further, the president lavished warm words of praise on Arafat at the signing ceremony, placing him on an even footing with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. The atmosphere between the Americans and the Israelis at the summit was terrible, the official said. When Netanyahu linked signing the agreement to the release of Jonathan Pollard, Clinton threw down his papers, according to the official, and said, "That is despicable." But, said Reuven Merhav, former director-general of the Foreign Ministry, these points of friction will be forgotten when the agreement is implemented. "It is like when you build a house," he said, "sometimes the contractor causes you enormous grief, and sometimes you finish with a good taste in your mouth." With time, he said, things like this are forgotten. Merhav said it would be mistake to say there is a "crisis" in Israel-US relations because of a few unpleasant incidents between the Israeli and American delegations at Wye. "The relations between the two countries are so important, and so long-standing, that it is silly to reduce them to a point where anger from one party toward another during the heat of negotiations is termed a crisis," he said. Indeed, the US official said, the US administration has a problem with Netanyahu, but it will not impinge on bilateral relations. What is of far greater consequence than the tense personal relations between Clinton and Netanyahu, said Joseph Alpher, director of the Israel/Middle East office of the American Jewish Committee, is that as a result of the Wye Memorandum, the US will take on a much more active role in the whole implementation process - something not necessarily beneficial for Israel. According to Alpher, the US resents having been placed in such an active role. "Clinton would much rather have preferred if the two sides could have worked matters out by themselves, like in the good old days, and then gathered at the White House for a ceremony," he said. "One of the consequences of Netanyahu's desire to slow the process, and his tough negotiating tactics and apparent inability to negotiate directly with the Palestinians has been the upgrading of the US from facilitator to participant in the negotiations. This began two years ago after the Western Wall tunnel incident," Alpher said. "At Wye the US position was upgraded even further, with the US now in a position as referee and active participant in implementing the security clauses." The minute the US becomes so actively engaged, Alpher argued, Israeli-US relations become hostage to the process. "Let's say there is some violation, and the US decides in favor of the Palestinians. This will then place Israel into a confrontation not only with the Palestinians, but also with the US," he said. Further, he said, the active involvement of the CIA in the security agreement may limit Israel's ability to maneuver. It now will be much more difficult for Israel to retaliate against the PA for something it views as an infraction, he said, because the opinion of the CIA on the matter will have to be considered. Headlines Redeployment could alter US role IDF wraps up Wye's first stage today First Wye pullout to end by tomorrow Settlers scurry to limit pullout threat IDF poised to implement first Wye transfer Wye redeployment begins today PM confident he can sell Wye Netanyahu flies to capital to avoid protesters Right outraged at Wye signing, Left skeptical PA officials pleased, extremists reject accord Settler leaders weigh next steps US Jewish leaders hail accord Commentary What's in the accord? The Document Text of The Wye Memorandum Speeches Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's speech PA Chairman Yasser Arafat's speech Analysis A patchy deal can easily unravel Strained relations Clinton deserves praise for job well done Wye deal to launch final talks Netanyahu turns centrist, but still faces Right Now for the tough part REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: Reflections on Wye Opinion EDITORIAL: A tardy first step The next stage The Pollard Issue Sources: There was a tacit deal to release Pollard A Pollard chronology Pollard's father disappointed that Israel 'caved in' over release Supplement Front Page

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