The Peace Process in the Middle East is primarily based on the
Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 which outlaw the Occupation
of land by force and recognize the principle "land for peace".
The Process had started in Madrid on 30th October 1991, under
the auspices of the two shepherds of the Madrid Conference: The
United States and Russia. Needless to say that the negotiations
at that time were not Palestinian -Israeli and not even Arab-Israeli
merely because of the lack of trust between the two parties due
to the state of billigeremy which prevailed the area for many
years.
The situation remained as such in Oslo till the Norwegian mediator
succeeded in narrowing the gap while the Americans have played
an important role in reaching the successive agreements.
Based upon this, approaching other parties to discuss the peace
process is rather logical.
The signing of the Declaration of Principles by the Government
of Israel and the PLO, the sole legitimate representative of the
Palestinian People took place in the gardens of the white House
on 13th September 1993 in the presence of President Clinton.
The document was signed by the Secretary of State and the Russian
Foreign Minister. The same has happened when the Cairo Agreement
was accomplished on 4th May 1994 and the successive Washington
Agreement on 28 September 1995 which was the result of lengthy
arduous talks in Taba regarding the second phase of the process.
Besides President Clinton, President Arafat, the late Prime Minister
Rabin, other leaders such as King Hussein of Jordan, President
Mubarak, the Prime Minister of Spain and Foreign Ministers of
US, Russia, Norway, Japan, had singed that document. It all indicates
the international involvement and interest in the success of the
Peace Process and the right implementation of the agreement to
ensure a bright future for the peoples of the area.
The main philosophy of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process
is based on generating trust between the two parties to replace
tension and violence and to the acceptance of coexistence and
mutual respect. It is also based on the promotion of credibility
between the two parties to strengthen the significance of negotiation
and peace.
The International Community has expressed its position towards
Jerusalem in the Security Council Resolution 478/80 which considered
any Israeli action in East Jerusalem as illegal and called upon
the world not to recognize any Israeli actions that would change
the status of occupied Jerusalem.
On the other hand, the PNA has always tried to convince the Israeli
Government that it has not signed an agreement with political
parties or Militias but with the Israeli Government. Hence it
will be a very serious precedent in International law to renew
negotiations with every new Israeli Government on the same issues
which were already settled in the agreement concluded with the
former government. The world has observed with concern the rigid
attitude of the Netenyaho government towards the implementation
of the agreement regarding the Redeployment in Hebron.
The PNA is also surprised to see a new fierce wave of settlements on its way to confiscate large areas of lands under the pretext of the construction of new roads and by adding thousands of units to the existing settlements and eventually the Israeli government has expressed its determination to establish a new settlement in Abu Ghniem Mountain . Such a decision is not only a very hard strike to the peace process but it also aims at shaping the future of Jerusalem before the negotiations on the final stage start. Together with that the legal advisor of the Prime Minister's office has recently issued a statement allowing Jewish extremists to pray in the Aqsa Mosque a matter that will increase tension.
While the Palestinians were waiting for the implementation of the first stage of Redeployment of the Israeli forces in the rural areas which was supposed to take place on 7th March 1997, the Israelis declared a probable pull out from 9% of the total occupied areas in West Bank without mentioning that 7% of that ratio of land is indeed under the PNA administration. In other words Israel was determined to pull out its forces from only 2% of the land.
Such an action dose not only stab the credibility in the peace
process but also creates repugnance and tension.
Actions of the sort are planned and implemented unilateraly neglecting
the principle of partnership in the peace process . The official
behavior of the Israeli government encourages the Jewish settlers
to continue their fierce actions towards the Palestinians and
their properties. All such actions make any negotiations void
of content.
The Israeli Media tries to convince the world that the Palestinian
desire to discuss with other parties the possibility of an outlet
to such a
crisis created by Israelis themselves as a violation to the agreements
concluded between the two parties.
Don't they see that their actions are indeed a real violation
to the peace agreements?
Do they expect the PNA to become a policeman who will protect the Israeli bulldozers while they operate to uproot the olive trees from the Palestinian land to prepare for more settlements?
The call of President Arafat for an international meeting in
Gaza is indeed a serious political step for a logical international
solution to the crisis to avoid violence, bloodshed and to save
the peace process.
The expected meeting in which Palestine, USA, Russia, the European
Union, Norway, Japan, Jordan and Egypt will participate represent
an International unanimous desire to save peace.