COMMUNIQUE OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

28 JANUARY 2000

1. Speedy movement on the negotiations track.

“ The leadership feels that a valuable time has been wasted without reaching any real or decisive progress in implementing the commitments of the interim period, or concerning the third redeployment or in reaching a framework agreement in final status negotiations. In this regard the leadership confirms that the Israeli side should show concern vis-a-vis the sustance of the negotiations rather than in its shape only. A Peace Process means achievements implemented on the ground and not only formal meetings with no aim or results whatsoever. The Palestinian leadership calls for the beginning of intensive and continuous negotiations at once until the 12^th of February, whereby the good will and intentions and seriousness of the Israeli side in allowing the negotiations to achieve real implementation of the agreements and commitments, including a framework agreement for the final status negotiations will be tested”.

2. Redeployment in 6.1% of the Palestinian territories in the West Bank.

The Palestinian leadership reaffirms the necessity of the Israeli side’s commitment to what was stated in the Sharm El Sheikh Memorandum and to what it has committed itself more than once to the American administration, the European Union and the Arab countries.

The Palestinian leadership has received with surprise the declaration that was issued by the Israeli Prime Minister’s office regarding the postponement of withdrawal without any known reason. Moreover, this declaration was followed with another declaration stating the Israeli refusal to withdraw from inhabited “B” areas that surround Jerusalem or to create a geographic continuity between Palestinian cities. The leadership does not understand the reasons behind this fallback from previous commitments of the Israeli Government to both the international and Palestinian parties.

The leadership would like to emphasize that the withdrawal implementation according to the Sharm El Sheikh Memorandum of Understanding cannot be bypassed since any progress in the negotiations depends upon this withdrawal. Moreover, the implementation of the third phase of redeployment as stated in the Oslo accords, besides the prisoners issue, the economic conditions and the Israeli financial commitments to the PNA, are all basic elements for progress in the negotiations.

3. Jerusalem.

300 Jewish rabbis in the United States have issued an important statement affirming that ignoring Palestinian rights in Jerusalem will not achieve Peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The statement also asserts that the way to peace should guarantee that the status of Jerusalem status should go back to what it was like before the 5^th of June 1967. This important call affirms the nullity of the Israeli claims on Jerusalem.

On the other hand the leadership has condemned the deliberate Israeli hampering of any renovations in Jerusalem, under the pretext of security reasons. The leadership refuses this constant Israeli interference in the management of the Holy Sites and calls upon the Israelis to stop their provocative actions, which will have a damaging and serious effect on the Holy City of Jerusalem.

4. Multilateral negotiations and the bilateral track.

The leadership confirms the resumption of the meetings in the context of the multilateral negotiations in Moscow on the 1^st of February. While it calls upon the international parties to emphasize the importance of the bilateral track; because the success of the multilateral negotiations is based on the principle: “Land for Peace”, UN Resolutions 242 / 338 / 425 and the establishment of the Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital.

On this basis the Palestinian leadership calls the international parties to set up an effective mechanism of international participation in the bilateral negotiations that would lead to the success of these negotiations as soon as possible. Especially since economic cooperation in the region cannot be achieved under the current circumstances of occupation, settlement, land confiscation, prisoners’ release and the failure to implement the commitments honestly and truly.

Previous Satement: Statement by the Palestinian Leadership