[WCUSP] "Gaps Remain on Way to Summit" by Amira Hass

[KATHARLOW at aol.com]

w w w . h a a r e t z . c o m           
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Last update -  10:01 22/11/2007
Palestinian source: Gaps remain on way to summit
By Amira  Hass

Haaretz has obtained a copy of the joint document as discussed by  the 
Israeli and Palestinian official representatives, and a Palestinian source  told the 
paper he believes the gaps between the two sides are still great.  

The source, however, said he did not know what changes had been inserted  
since November 17, the day the document was dated. 

The source said the  opening stance by the PLO as it appears in the 
Palestinian proposals in the  draft is weak and gives up on demands that were once 
presented as a  counterweight to Israeli demands on the struggle against terror, 
for example.  

The source said the main flaw in the Palestinian formulations was that  there 
is no paragraph clearly stating that the construction of settlements will  be 
frozen during the negotiations. 

The document consists of a number of  sections, mainly declarative, on which 
the two teams had reached agreement, but  mainly includes parallel paragraphs 
proposed by each side and marked "I" for  Israel and "P" for Palestinian. 

The draft, which the Palestinians called  a "joint document" and not a joint 
declaration, begins with an affirmation of  "our determination to bring an end 
to bloodshed, suffering and decades of  conflict between our peoples, to 
usher in a new era of peace based on freedom,  security, justice, dignity, respect 
and mutual recognition, and to propagate a  culture of peace and non 
violence." 

The document, dated November 17 at  the King David Hotel, was drafted by 
Shalom Turjeman and Tal Becker for Israel  and Saeb Erekat and Zeinah Salahi for 
the Palestinians. 

The Palestinian  portion of the draft does not include a demand to dismantle 
roadblocks or the  separation barrier, and does not mention the decision by 
the Internation Court  of Justice in The Hague with regard to the barrier. 

The PLO also makes  no reference to the situation in the Gaza Strip and does 
not demand that the  crossings be opened to ease the lives of the people 
there. These omissions of  what were accepted opening principles and key 
Palestinians stances are causing  discontent among senior Palestinian leaders, the 
source said. 

The  document begins with a preamble stating its goals, and contains a 
section on the  negotiations, on the road map and on the function of the 
international community  and the countries in the region. It also discusses a follow-up 
to the  negotiations (only the Palestinians proposed this section) and contains 
a  closing paragraph. 

The Palestinian draft makes do with a general  statement, which also appeared 
in the interim agreement in 1995, that neither  side would initiate steps 
that would change the status of the West Bank and Gaza  Strip. This is the 
formulation the Palestinians cite in arguing that  construction in the settlements 
contradicts the Oslo Accords. The only addition  to this section is a reference 
to East Jerusalem as part of the West Bank.  

One major point of contention as revealed by the draft is the question  of a 
timetable for ending negotiations. The Palestinians write that the two  sides 
agree to "launch good faith negotiations in order to conclude a treaty  within 
8 months of the convening of the meeting in Annapolis, but not later than  
President Bush's term, providing a just solution to all aspects of the  
Israeli-Palestinian conflict." The Israeli position as it appears in the  November 17 
draft states specifically "no agreement to timeline." 

The  Palestinians write that the negotiations will be "based on the agreed 
terms of  reference and principles herein, including the Road Map...which called 
for an  end to the Israeli occupation that began in 1967, the Arab Peace 
Initiative of  2002, international law, the establishment of a sovereign 
independent State of  Palestine living side by side in peace and security with the 
State of  Israel"

However, according to the Israelis, "the negotiations will be  guided by the 
agreed terms of reference for the peace process." 

The  Palestinians believe that the Israeli stance will allow Israel to 
deviate and  change the previous agreements as it sees fit. 

Among the terms of  reference for negotiations, the Palestinians also include 
United Nations  resolution 194 on the Palestinian right of return. 

Israel does not  accept these terms of reference, but notes the Quartet's 
demands, which led in  2006 to a boycott of the Hamas government and include 
recognition of Israel and  a denouncement of terror. 

The Palestinians oppose a number of statements  appearing in the Israeli 
draft in the preamble proposals: Israel's formulation  that the realization of 
self-determination is of "each people in their own  territory," and that Israel 
is "the homeland for the Jewish people and Palestine  is the homeland of the 
Palestinian people." 

The Palestinians also oppose  the mention of the word "terrorism" in the 
sentence discussing "bringing an end  to incitement, extremism, terror and 
violence." They also oppose including in  the joint document the phrase "secure the 
release of [captured soldier] Gilad  Shalit." 

The section on the road map contains the original draft of the  American 
proposal for the joint document, and consists of five points.  

But the Palestinian source said the Americans have withdrawn the five  points 
because of Israel's opposition to some of them. Israel is said to be  opposed 
to the "immediate and parallel" implementation of the road map and the  
establishment of an American-Palestinian-Israeli committee to monitor  
implementation. It also opposes the U.S. as "monitor and judge" of each party as  it tries 
to fulfill its obligations. 

The main area of relative agreement  is in the function of the international 
community and the countries in the  region. But the Palestinians oppose the 
statement "steady improvement of  regional ties with Israel, and the proportion 
of regional cooperation on issues  of common concern." 

The section entitled "Follow-Up Mechanism" is an  entirely Palestinian 
proposal. They propose the immediate establishment of  negotiating committees to 
begin operating on the second day of the Annapolis  summit and the calling of an 
international conference every three months to  review progress. 

As the Palestinians had promised the media, in the  concluding paragraph the 
Palestinians propose that all Palestinian prisoners be  released with the 
signing of the treaty. They also refer to improving the daily  lives and welfare 
of the Palestinian people. 

The Palestinian source said  the framers of the Palestinian draft were 
adopting "a vague Israeli formulation"  in writing: "Israel will make every effort 
to improve the daily lives and  advance the welfare of the Palestinian 
population pending the full  implementation of the treaty," instead of clear-cut 
demands to remove  roadblocks, end travel restrictions and dismantle the separation 
fence.  

In the concluding paragraph an Israeli comment appears "Note:  Outstanding 
question for consideration -- How to address the situation in Gaza  in the 
document?"






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