1. The agreement, reached at the end of a difficult process and concerted
efforts, is based on two principles: security and reciprocity.
2. The Memorandum contains a precise timetable for implementation and
stipulates mechanisms for supervision and control.
3. Israel made extremely painful concessions, involving a high order of
security risks - all with the aim of advancing the peace process. (Foreign
Minister Sharon: "The quest for peace is as difficult as the waging of
war...")
4. The implementation timetable is an integral part of the arrangement.
Israel will perform its part in the agreement on time, immediately after
the Palestinians will have fulfilled their commitments, stage by stage -
commitments that, for the most part, have been made in several earlier
agreements but have yet to be implemented.
5. Israel demanded - and received - Palestinian commitments concerning a
number of substantive issues, with American guarantees as to their
implementation.
6. The agreement is to go into effect ten days after it is signed.
7. The agreement consists of two main parts:
- A document listing the steps that are to be taken by the two sides;
- A timetable for the implementation of the various stages.
8. The agreement will make possible the implementation of the Interim
Agreement of September 28, 1995, and the accompanying agreements,
including the Note for the Record of January 17, 1997, with emphasis on
the principle of reciprocity and on mutual commitments.
9. The steps to be taken by the two sides will be carried out in
accordance with the timetable set forth in the agreement. At each stage,
there is a reference to the redeployment that is mentioned at the end of
the list, in order to make clear that the redeployment (in stages) will
take place only after the Palestinians will have fulfilled their
commitment at each particular stage.
10. An appropriate mechanism has been established to carry out the
necessary supervision and control with regard to implementation of the
various commitments. For the first time, there is a clear timetable for
the implementation of the Palestinians' commitments. A letter of
guarantees addressed by the US Secretary of State to the Prime Minister of
Israel reinforces various points made in the agreement.
11. The following are the Palestinian commitments:
(a) They will submit a working paper setting forth how they will fight
terrorism.
(b) The Palestinians will arrest and punish persons suspected of
involvement in terrorist operations and in violence.
(c) They will refrain from activating the "revolving door" policy.
(d) Illegal arms will be confiscated.
(e) They will act to prevent incitement.
(f) There will be full Israeli-Palestinian cooperation in security
matters. An Israeli-American-Palestinian security committee will be
established to facilitate this cooperation and to monitor the fight
against terrorism.
(g) The Palestinians will submit to Israel a list of policemen in
accordance with the number permitted under the terms of the Interim
Agreement. The United States has guaranteed that Israel will receive full
information in this regard, and an Israeli-Palestinian steering committee
will supervise the implementation of this commitment.
(h) All the members of the Palestinian National Council (PNC) - "The
members" in the text of the Memorandum - will be invited, together with
the members of the PLO Central Committee, the members of the Palestinian
Legislative Council and the department heads of the Palestinian Authority,
for the purpose of adopting a decision ratifying the abolition of the
articles of the Palestinian National Covenant that Israel has demanded to
be abolished. Prior to the convening of the PNC, such a decision will also
be adopted by the PLO Executive Committee and by that organization's
Central Council. The President of the United States will address the
meeting at which this decision will be adopted.
(i) The stipulation in the Interim Agreement regarding the transfer of
suspects and persons under indictment was reaffirmed.
12. The Redeployments:
(a) The three stages of Israel's redeployment will be carried out, as
stated above, only after the Palestinians will have implemented their own
appropriate commitment at each stage.
(b) At the completion of the entire process, including the implementation
of all the commitments at the various stages, Israel will have transferred
to the Palestinians the following areas:
- One percent of Judea-Samaria (the "West Bank") from Area C to Area
A;
- 12 percent from Area C to Area B;
- 14.2 percent from Area B to Area A.
(c) 3 percent of the territory to be transferred to the Palestinians from
Area C to Area B will be defined as a green area, or nature reserve - in
other words, as an area in which Israel will continue to be responsible
for security, in which there is to be no further housing construction and
no increase in the population. That is, Israel will have more authority in
this area than it has in Area B.
(d) Israel made it clear, in the various discussions, that if and when
there will be a third redeployment, this will be no more than one percent
in scope. It will be recalled that the scope of the redeployment is to be
determined by Israel and is not subject to negotiation (see the Interim
Agreement and the Note for the Record).
13. Agreement was reached with regard to the industrial park in Gaza and
the airport at Dahaniya, the activation of the safe passage between the
Gaza district and Judea-Samaria (the "West Bank") and the work of the
Legal Committee and the Economic Committee concerning the various subjects
on the agenda.
14. There is to be an immediate and accelerated resumption of the
negotiations. The two sides have undertaken to refrain from unilateral
steps that would alter the status of the area, until the permanent status
negotiations will have been completed.