Jerusalem, 27 August 2000
PM Barak: Ball is in Arafat's Court
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
Prime Minister Ehud Barak, today (Sunday), 27.8.2000, at the weekly
Cabinet meeting, said that the ball is now in Palestinian Authority (PA)
Chairman Yasser Arafat's court. The PA Chairman must decide whether or
not he is willing to move towards a settlement; if not, he must then
bear the responsibility for the deadlock which is liable to be created.
Prime Minister Barak added that while there are ongoing low-intensity
contacts at various levels, we will only know where the process is
heading in the coming weeks as Chairman Arafat makes a decision.
Prime Minister Barak said that Israel is in the midst of ramified
diplomatic activity designed to clarify our positions. "Most of the
world understands that the ball is in Arafat's court; this is a tangible
sign of both Israel's diplomatic achievement and the turnaround in our
international position," the Prime Minister said. He added that one
should compare the current situation with that which confronted the
government at the beginning of its term, when it had to implement the
Wye Agreement and carry out the third phase, thereby delivering most of
Judea and Samaria, before it had become clear whether we had a genuine
partner for a permanent settlement. "The fact that we forged the Sharm
Agreement, incorporating the aspect of the framework agreement, enabled
us and the entire world to see whether the Palestinian side was
sufficiently flexible before we had to pay a heavy price," the Prime
Minister said.
Prime Minister Barak emphasized that there is no way to know the outcome
of the current efforts, adding that while only one side is necessary to
force a confrontation, an agreement requires both sides.
Prime Minister Barak said that he had told French President Jacques
Chirac last night that Israel had made a strategic choice for peace with
Syria and believes that an agreement must honor both sides' interests
and rights. The Prime Minister added that from our point of view, the
door is open to negotiations with Syria.