Jerusalem, 29 November 1996
CABINET COMMUNIQUE
(Communicated by the Cabinet Secretariat)
At the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Friday), 29.11.96:
1. The Cabinet noted the 49th anniversary of the passage of the UN
resolution leading to the establishment of the State of Israel. Prime
Minister Netanyahu said that it is not the UN resolution, but rather
Zionism which founded the State of Israel. However, without the 100 years
of settlement which preceded the resolution, Zionism would not have been
realized; and without the War of Independence, the State of Israel would
not have been established. The UN resolution added international
recognition of the right of the Jewish people to establish a state in its
land. The Arabs who rejected the resolution 49 years ago are now seeking
to roll back the course of events.
November 29 is a important date, but it is important only as one of the
milestones in the Jewish people's ongoing effort to reestablish its state.
Communications Minister Livnat showed the ministers the new edition of
Theodor Herzl's book The Jewish State, as well as the special
commemorative envelope and phone card that her ministry has issued in
honor of the 100th anniversary of the book's publication.
2. The Prime Minister said that it was already possible to reach an
agreement on the Hebron issue, if the Palestinian side would have decided
that it wanted to conclude the negotiations. He said that those on the
Palestinian side thought that it would be better to wait for the U.S.
elections, afterwards for the Cairo conference, and now for the Lisbon
conference, out of an illusion that these events would create pressure on
the Israeli government.
Just has the U.S. elections and the Cairo conference did not produce such
pressure, so too the Lisbon conference will not create such pressure, and
in any case no pressure will be effective here.
Israel is prepared to reach an agreement on Hebron. What is required is a
Palestinian decision to reach an agreement.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the agreement on Hebron would be
brought to the Cabinet for its approval, after it is initialled.
As for the continuation of the process and the negotiations on the
permanent settlement, the Prime Minister said that we must reach broad
national agreement on these issues.
After the necessary preparations are carried out, there will also be a
discussion in the Cabinet on this issue. Israel is presenting to the
Palestinians its requirements for upholding its commitments according to
the agreement in a reciprocal manner, in order to enable the process to
move forward.
3. Foreign Minister Levy reported on his visit to Oslo, where he told his
interlocutors that international influence must be used with Arafat, since
his intention is not to reach an agreement on Hebron and to drag the
process out. Responsibility for the fact that there is no agreement does
not rest with Israel, he told them.