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Israel's View of the Current Negotiations with the Palestinian Council
(Ministry of Foreign affairs - Information Division)
October 7, 1996
Last evening (October 6, 1996) Israel and the Palestinian Council began high level continuous negotiations at Erez in order to resolve the remaining issues regarding the implementation of the Interim Agreement. Israel is not seeking to reopen the Interim Agreement for renegotiation, rather we seek to take into account those developments which now warrant further amplification of certain points in the Agreement. Speaking to reporters, last night, Lt. Gen. (Res.) Dan Shomron, who heads Israel's delegation to the talks, stated:
"The Agreement itself has a great deal of room for maneuvering which the two sides, by mutual agreement, can utilize in order to implement measures which will grant greater security to both sides. This is possible within the framework of the Agreement."
1. These talks, which will simultaneously deal with the Hebron and security concerns, are an opportunity to cement relations between ourselves and the Palestinians, renew mutual trust and respect, and redouble our efforts to achieve peace even as we remain cognizant of the tragic events of the past two weeks. General Shomron stated:
"We began our talks today after a severe crisis which, may have, damaged the basis of the Oslo Agreements and the peace process itself. That basis is trust and the feeling of partnership (which exists between the two sides). We will now have to engage in confidence building measures in order to renew this trust, which is a necessary condition for the process to progress."
2. The talks would not be possible had it not been for the meetings which were held, under the good offices of the United States, in Washington, DC. In the course of the Washington summit Prime Minister Netanyahu and Chairman Arafat were afforded the time and place to meet for a lengthy private conversation. Both parties came away from that meeting with a better understanding of the others sensitivities.
Prime Minister Netanyahu remarked afterwards:
"I think this was the first step to break down certain barriers that were there of a lack of confidence in one another. I cannot say that we now know each other fully well and so on. But we did spend several hours together discussing all the issues openly and in a very cordial environment. And I think this will facilitate trust. I think we accomplished a significant improvement in that area. I say that when you have trust, all sorts of things that are problematic can be solved. And when you don't have trust, everything becomes a problem." (October 3, 1996)
3. Israel reiterates its commitment to the peace process, a process which must be marked by negotiations and dialogue in an atmosphere free from violence or the threat of its use. Peace must be achieved by peaceful means. As Prime Minister Netanyahu has stated:
"We have accomplished quite a few things. And I think the most important one is to cement the principle that the path to peace is through negotiations and not through violence: that is, that the principle that we must cease any forms of violence and that if anyone has a grievance, he brings it to the negotiating table and nowhere else. I think that is a central principle by which we can guide peace." (October 3, 1996)
4. Our approach to the negotiations is one of respect for our interlocutors coupled with the realization that this cannot be a "win - lose" situation. Our goal is for each party to leave the table with an agreement which takes into account the other's concerns while realizing that there are overriding mutual interests which exist between the two sides, in other words - a "win - win" situation. Speaking to a live US television audience, Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed Israel's commitment thus:
"It's not one of those elbow- bending exercises, "I'll bend you or you'll bend me." We have to establish a different framework. I think we began doing it. I think the test is now what we do on the ground. For Arafat, this means to keep the peace, stop the incitement on the Palestinian side, and make sure that those rifles are used for peaceful means or for the sake of stopping terrorism, not being trained on Israelis. On our side, what it means is moving on those parts of the Oslo accords that are left open that we are committed to, and to do it." (October 3, 1996)
5. In the course of the talks, last night, it was decided to establish three (3) subcommittees which will deal with (a) Hebron, (b) security issues and (c) economic issues. General Shomron stated that:
"We intend to work at a fast pace in order to reach an agreement on all of these issues so that we can continue the peace process".
6. Security remains Israel's primary concern. Foreign Minister David Levy remarked today that:
"The peace process will continue because it has no substitute. Israel has not raised various issues in order to drag its feet or not honor its agreements; the basic issue for Israel is, rather, its security and the security of its citizens".
7. Israel has taken steps, over the last few days, to alleviate some of the effects of the closure on the territories. The Karni crossing point is to be reopened in coordination with the Palestinians. The internal closure which was imposed after the rioting in the territories is being gradually relaxed. Israel has resumed importing agricultural products from the Gaza Strip. All of these measures are being undertaken as part of an ongoing effort to rebuild mutual confidence while we are engaged in negotiations.
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