Peace in the Middle East will be impossible unless Arab nations accept the existence of Israel, and a solution is found to the grievances of refugees in the occupied territories, Amnon Efrat, the Israeli consul in Philadelphia, said last night.

Efrat spoke to about 40 people in the HUB gallery as part of Yachad's Israeli Awareness Week.

He discussed several developments in the Middle East, including the dialogue recently entered into by the United States with the Palestine Liberation Organization and the diplomatic relations developing between Israel and the Soviet Union.

Efrat outlined a number of problems in the Middle East that have prevented peace in the region. In particular, Efrat's presentation focused upon problems caused by the Arab nations' refusal to accept Israel's existence in the region, and the problems caused by Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israel cannot and will not consider dialogue with the PLO, Efrat said, since its past history, association with terrorism and professed cause of dismantling Israel make it a barrier to peace instead of an avenue.

Israel would be willing to discuss problems in the occupied territories and seek a solution to the conditions there with elected representatives from the regions themselves, but would not carry on dialogue with the PLO, since the group is not a true representation of the territories' people, Efrat said.

Efrat said that the Palestinian uprising, which started in late 1987, is not the only barrier to peace in the Middle East. He said peaceful coexistence of all nations in the region coupled with substantive dialogue is the only way peace can be obtained in the region.

Yachad President Douglas Rike said the group hopes to promote the political and cultural aspects of the state of Israel. Efrat spoke about the political status of Israel, Rike said, and other speakers this week will speak about various aspects of the Israeli state.

Yachad's Israeli Awareness Week coincides with the anniversary of the Camp David Accords signed in 1979. Efrat said the agreement marked the first essential step toward peace in the Middle East by opening relations between Israel and its Arab neighbor Egypt.