Israel: Taking the Hard Line

As Israeli and Palestinian negotiators resume talks aimed at completing a final, comprehensive peace agreement, hanging over them is a pledge made by Palestinian leader YASSER ARAFAT to declare a Palestinian state by year's end, with or without Israel's acquiescence. During his interview with TIME (see WORLD), Prime Minister EHUD BARAK revealed a position not unlike that of his hard-line predecessor BENJAMIN NETANYAHU. Barak says if Arafat unilaterally declares a fully sovereign state in all the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israel would respond by unilaterally annexing Palestinian territories Israel wants to keep for itself, a move long avoided because of...