martedì 11 settembre 2007

8 point declaration of principles being thrashed out by Israelis and Palestinians before autumn summit

Bethlehem – Ma'an – Exclusive – 11/09/07. Ma'an News Agency has received from an Israeli source exclusive copy, written in Hebrew, of the points which are being crystallized as a declaration of principles between Israel and the PLO before the autumn summit, expected to be held in November in Washington.

The following is an exact translation of the 1 page document:

"The Israeli leadership and the PLO leadership must immediately get involved in an operation which once completed will lead to the establishment of two states – Israel and Palestine. Relying on a basic declaration of principles and understandings as follows:

1. Israel to end its occupation of the West Bank in a given period of time. Gradual withdrawal and evacuation of Israeli settlements. Each evacuated area will be turned over to the Palestinian Authority where law and order will prevail. And law and order will be established in Gaza as part of the process which will enable Israel to see the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as one political entity.

2. An unarmed Palestinian state within the 1967 borders. The specific details of the borders will be determined according to security needs, demographic developments and humanitarian requirements. This will pave the way to for an equal territorial exchange. Israel will keep some settlement blocs and maintain geographic contiguity in Palestine and horizons for economic prosperity.

3. There will be two capitals in Jerusalem, one for Israel and one for Palestine. The Israeli neighbourhoods will be under Israeli sovereignty and the Arab neighbourhoods under Palestinian sovereignty. There will be cooperation between both authorities which will allow for better administration of people's lives.

4. Special arrangements will be prepared to secure access to Holy places for all religions. A special administrative authority will be established to organise access of both people to Holy places in the Old City of Jerusalem.

5. Palestine to be declared a national homeland for the Palestinian people and Israel to be declared a national homeland for the Jewish people.

6. A just solution to be agreed on for the problem of the Palestinian refugees with recognition of their suffering and understanding of their individual right within the framework of a comprehensive solution.

7. Both sides to declare the end of conflict and endeavour to gain public support as much as possible and both sides to do their best to cooperate against any aspect of terrorism and violence from either of the two states against the other.

8. Both sides to consider this agreement as being in accordance with the principles of the peace initiative proposed by the Arab League. Both will call the Arab League to positive steps towards full implementation of that initiative. They will also call on the international community and the International Quartet to intervene and provide aid in different ways to push the agreement forward.

This agreement which is based on the 8 principles must be reached before the US-sponsored autumn peace summit. It will then be proposed and documented as international resolution, the statement read.

Immediately after the international summit and simultaneously with ongoing negotiations to reach a detailed agreement, Israel will start to withdraw its forces and evacuate settlements from territories in the West Bank. Completion of the stages of evacuation will be done in tandem with the completion of the negotiations, the statement added.

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