Those Catchy Code Words

Few entries in the bulging lexicon of international diplomacy are so freighted with emotion and precise, almost lapidary meaning as the code words and phrases dealing with the Arab-Israeli dispute. As Jimmy Carter has learned, a slip in the use of the Middle East's special shorthand can cause rumblings round the world. Some key terms:

Resolution 242 Adopted by the U.N. Security Council in 1967, it acknowledges "the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every state in the area and their right to live in peace." Israelis say this amounts to Arab recognition of Israel's right to exist.

Defensible Borders Jerusalem's term for boundaries that would permanently grant to Israel a major share of the territory it has occupied since 1967.

Secure and Recognized Borders A phrase used in Resolution 242 that is interpreted by Arabs to mean that Israel must withdraw from the occupied territories except for minor adjustments along the borders.

Palestinian Homeland A geographic and political (if not necessarily fully sovereign) state for the Palestinians.

Refugee Problem Phrase in Resolution 242 interpreted by Israel to mean that the Palestinian problem should be solved by resettling the refugees rather than by creating a political state.

Palestinian Legitimate Rights It implicitly recognizes that solution of the Palestinian issue requires political measures in addition to the humanitarian task of finding homes for refugees.

True Peace Jerusalem's phrase for full diplomatic, commercial and cultural relations with the Arab states.

End of Belligerency Used to emphasize that ceasing the state of war is not the same as "true peace." The Arabs insist that ending belligerency is the most they can exchange for an Israeli withdrawal to "secure and recognized borders" and that full normalization of relations will take time. The Israelis fear it may be a tactic by which they merely pause in their drive to destroy Israel.

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