The purpose of the Wye River Memorandum is to facilitate implementation of
the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip and other related
agreements. The Memorandum is based on two fundamental principles:
security and reciprocity. Towards these ends, it contains a precise
timetable for implementation and introduces a series of checks and
balances to the peace process.
The position of the Government of Israel is clear: Israel is willing to
fulfill all the commitments it has undertaken, however, Israel's actions
will depend on the Palestinians first fulfilling their obligations
completely in each stage. In the Memorandum, the Palestinians gave clear
commitments regarding substantitive issues, commitments that, for the most
part, had been made in previous agreements, but have yet to be
implemented.
Since the start of the Wye negotiations, events have occurred and
statements have been made which concern the Government of Israel.
1) In the period between the Wye negotiations and the approval of
the Memorandum by the Government of Israel, four terrorist attacks
occurred in which Israelis were killed and wounded. The timing and
location of the attacks carried the potential for even a far greater
number of casualties, including scores of children.
2) Moreover, recent statements by high-ranking Palestinian officials
might indicate an intention to evade commitments they undertook in the Wye
Memorandum. Senior Palestinian Authority officials have made statements
which substantially contradict the terms of the Memorandum regarding such
issues as:
* The unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state: Chairman Arafat
repeatedly stated (14/11 and 15/11) his intention to declare an
independent Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital, on May 4th,
1999. Moreover, in his November 15th speech, Chairman Arafat also
mentioned the use of force.
* The required changes in the Palestinian National Covenant: Chief
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and Speaker of the Palestinian
Legislative Council, Abu Alaa, among other statements, said respectively
that the meeting of the Palestinian National Council and the other
Palestinian organizations "is intended only to listen to the speech of
President Clinton, and there will be no vote" (4/11) and "we shall not
convene the Palestinian National Council to change the Covenant"
(6/11).
* The arrest and punishment of persons suspected of involvement in
terrorist operations and in violence against Israel and Israelis: PA
Minister Dr. Nabil Sha'ath said in an interview to "Voice of Israel in
Arabic" that "the Palestinians will not listen to the Israeli Security
Forces' instructions regarding who to arrest" (5/11).
* Additional statements in the official Palestinian media which contradict, both in letter and in word, matters agreed upon in the Wye Memorandum
include worrisome comments about confiscation of illegal arms, the
required reduction in the size of the Palestinian police (26/10) and
inciteful statements about Israelis and the Jewish people (26/10).
In its decision to approve the Wye River Memorandum (11/11), the
Government of Israel took into account these statements and events, and
included in its decision several elements designed to ensure an accurate
and thorough implementation of the Memorandum.
The Government's decision reaffirms the basic principles of the
Memorandum, among them security and reciprocity, and is entirely in
accordance with the provisions of the Wye Memorandum.