(3 of 3)
Jordan's King Hussein is not particularly anxious to have the Palestinians at the peace table, but he made a conciliatory gesture toward them by proposing that they be given the right to decide whether a newly created Palestine should be an independent state or linked to Jordan. Under Hussein's plan, Jordan would recover the West Bank of the Jordan, then hold a plebiscite among Palestinians there to determine whether they would remain under Hussein. The Palestinian guerrilla groups are inclined to push instead for the immediate creation of an independent state.
Thorny as they are, such questions were side issues to the major problem of making permanent the ceasefire.
Egyptian and Israeli armies still face each other along the Suez front. Until they are separated behind negotiated lines, the danger exists that a chance incident or miscalculation could spark renewed fighting. It is that potential that caused all parties to focus their concern and attention on the negotiations at the tent city at Kilometer 101.