Disney, Arabs Meet On Exhibit

Faced with a possible boycott, Walt Disney World officials met with Arab leaders to discuss an Israeli exhibit planned for its Epcot millennium celebration.

Members of the Arab delegation, which included ambassadors from Morocco and the United Arab Emirates, presented Walt Disney World President Al Weiss with a memo outlining their objections to the possibility that the exhibit will designate Jerusalem as Israel's political capital.

The United Arab Emirates has threatened to boycott Disney over the exhibit, which is scheduled to open Oct. 1. The Arab League earlier this week discussed a resolution warning Disney that it would take "appropriate action" about the exhibit.

After the meeting Wednesday at a Washington hotel, the Arab leaders said they were pleased with the discussions.

"They were very interested to hear our input," said Dr. Hala Maksoud, president of the Washington-based Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee. "They didn't realize the political impact of the exhibit."

Weiss and other Disney officials planned to discuss the memo by telephone with the Arab groups Friday, Maksoud said.

The exhibit is part of the theme park's 15-month millennium celebration featuring exhibits from more than 35 nations, the United Nations and the World Bank. Two Arab countries are to be represented at the Millennium Village: Morocco and Saudi Arabia.

In Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak denounced Arab threats to boycott Disney. "Attempts to harm the standing of Israel and Jerusalem as its capital have failed in the past and will fail in the future," he said.

The issue of Jerusalem is one of the touchiest in Israel-Arab negotiations. Since Israel captured east Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967, Arabs have considered it occupied territory and objected to Israelis' claim that Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish state. The resolution of Jerusalem's status is to be taken up in final peace negotiations over the next year between the Palestinians and Israel.

"East Jerusalem can't be represented as part of Israel," said Hussein Ibish, a spokesman for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. "It would be ... an offense to the Arab and Moslem world."

Disney spokesman Bill Warren said Thursday he couldn't comment on the meeting. He has said previously that the exhibit isn't political but has declined to say if it designates Jerusalem as the political capital of Israel.