Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
On October 12, PA police took into custody two Israeli army reservists who had become
lost and accidentally drove into downtown Ramallah, a town under PA control. A Palestinian
mob seized, lynched, and mutilated them. The events, fi lmed by an Italian crew, were shown
on Israeli television, and the public perceived this incident — along with other such deliber-
ate murders of unarmed Israeli civilians — as showing the extent of Palestinian hatred and PA
disinterest in fulfi lling its commitments.
Another round of diplomacy led to an emergency summit at Sharm al-Shaykh, on Oc-
tober 16 -17, at which both sides agreed to end the violence and establish a commission of
inquiry. Although Israel released a number of Palestinian prisoners, reopened borders, and
pulled back military forces, Arafat made little or no apparent attempt to stop the uprising.
Barak responded by formally suspending the peace process on October 22.
Barak, who had been expecting to be leading the country to full peace just weeks earlier,
was now fi ghting a war. By mid-November 2000, Israel had tripled the number of troops in the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip and taken other measures to pressure the PA to stop the fi ghting.
In November and December, Barak authorized the targeted assassinations of ten Palestinians
whom Israeli intelligence identifi ed as ordering and organizing terrorist attacks.
Clinton and Barak made one more effort to save the peace process in a remarkable negotiat-
ing strategy. Arafat had rejected the opening Israeli offer at Camp David. Now, even though the
Palestinian leader had made no concessions, Israel made its best offer. On December 23, 2000,
Clinton set forth these terms to Arafat: The Palestinian state would include between 94 and
96 percent of the West Bank plus 1-3 percent more land swapped between Israel and Palestine.
The Palestinians would thus receive roughly the equivalent of the entire pre-1967 land area of
the West Bank. Israel's goal was to incorporate into Israel's territory small areas near the border
where up to 80 percent of the Jewish settlers in the West Bank were concentrated. Israel would
give Israeli territory to the Palestinians in exchange for the lands where the settlements were
while also maximizing the territorial contiguity of the Palestinian state.
In addition, Israel proposed to maintain three early-warning stations near the Palestine-
Jordan border to ensure that foreign Arab armies did not cross into that area. Palestinian of-
fi cials would be present to ensure the proper use of these facilities.
In Jerusalem, the Palestinians would have total sovereignty over the Arab neighborhoods,
as well as the Haram al-Sharif area atop the Temple Mount. Israel would get only the Jewish
Quarter of the Old City, the Jewish neighborhoods, and the Western Wall of the Temple. Is-
rael's only infl uence over the Temple's site would be that its permission would be required to
excavate there; Palestine would have the same veto rights over digging behind the Western Wall.
Finally, an international commission would be established to facilitate the return of Pal-
estinian refugees to “historic Palestine” and “their homeland,” meaning that they would be
resettled in the new state of Palestine or elsewhere. A multibillion-dollar fund raised interna-
tionally would be used to compensate refugees.
The Clinton plan gave the Palestinians about 99 percent of their demands, aside from the
demand to resettle refugees in Israel, while reducing Israel's demands and security consid-
erations beyond any previous minimum. Clearly, it was a package tailored to win Arafat's
acceptance.
