Interpretatieverschillen van wederzijdse verplichtingen en afspraken vormen steevast een probleem in onderhandelingen tussen Israël en de Palestijnen.
Wat is een 'settlement freeze'? Het lijkt duidelijk, maar betekent het dat je geen nieuwe nederzettingen meer bij bouwt, dat je geen huizen meer bouwt (mag je dan ook geen oud huis vervangen voor een nieuw?), of dat je geen land toevoegt aan bestaande nederzettingen? Mag er een nieuwe weg worden aangelegd, een school gebouwd, en hoe staat het met al eerder door de regering goedgekeurde plannen? Israël maakt bovendien een onderscheid tussen de grote nederzettingen blokken die men zeker wil houden (eventueel in een landruil), en vindt dat Oost-Jeruzalem hier sowieso van is uitgesloten, daar dit is geannexeerd en niet onder de Westelijke Jordaanoever valt.
Uiteraard menen de Palestijnen dat het gaat om alle activiteiten in de bezette gebieden inclusief Oost-Jeruzalem. Het is in mijn ogen een beetje absurd te claimen dat Israël niet meer zou mogen bouwen in het Joodse kwartier, waar eeuwenlang Joden hebben gewoond totdat ze in 1948 door het Jordaanse leger werden verdreven, maar het lijkt me ook absurd om nieuwe huizenblokken te bouwen op plaatsen waar men misschien binnen een paar jaar moet vertrekken - of daar nou wel of niet de gemeentegrens voor moet worden vergroot. Officiëel heeft Israël overigens al jaren geen nieuwe nederzettingen meer gebouwd, maar wel de huidige flink uitgebreid en nieuwe wijken of 'buitenposten' gebouwd. De les van dergelijk geruzie over wat een settlement freeze precies inhoudt, is dat in iedere overeenkomst alles tot 5 cijfers achter de comma duidelijk en precies moet worden vastgelegd. Als Israël bepaalde nederzettingen hiervan wil uitsluiten, dan dient het namen te geven van welke en ook moet duidelijk zijn welke al goedgekeurde projecten eventueel nog worden uitgevoerd.
Op dezelfde manier dient tot in de kleinste details te worden vastgelegd wanneer de Palestijnen aan hun veiligheidseisen hebben voldaan zoals vastgelegd in de eerste fase van de Routekaart, en welk gebied Israël dan zal overdragen. De grote vraag is wie kan controleren en bepalen of men zich aan de afspraken heeft gehouden en wie door beide partijen als een onpartijdige bemiddelaar wordt gezien. Misschien moet de conferentie in Annapolis meer over dit soort praktische en technische zaken gaan dan allemaal geblabla over politieke horizons en visies op vrede. Zelfs onder een twee-statenoplossing verstaan beide partijen iets anders: voor Israël betekent het een Joodse en een Arabische staat, voor de Palestijnen een Arabische en een gemengde staat.
Ratna
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Israel and Palestine fail to agree before conference
Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem and Julian Borger in Cairo
Israel and Palestine fail to agree before conference
Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem and Julian Borger in Cairo
A meeting between Israeli and Palestinian leaders has failed to produce a joint declaration for a Middle East summit due next week in the United States, after they could not resolve key differences.
Although Israel announced the release of 441 Palestinian prisoners, and despite more than two hours of talks in Jerusalem between the prime minister, Ehud Olmert, and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, there appeared to remain serious differences between the two sides ahead of the meeting in Annapolis.
Their aides will hold more meetings today.
The declaration that diplomats originally expected Israel and the Palestinians to agree on, so that it could be read at Annapolis, has yet to be agreed. Palestinian sources said they rejected earlier drafts, which failed to mention key UN Security Council resolutions that are principles to ending the conflict.
Although Israel announced the release of 441 Palestinian prisoners, and despite more than two hours of talks in Jerusalem between the prime minister, Ehud Olmert, and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, there appeared to remain serious differences between the two sides ahead of the meeting in Annapolis.
Their aides will hold more meetings today.
The declaration that diplomats originally expected Israel and the Palestinians to agree on, so that it could be read at Annapolis, has yet to be agreed. Palestinian sources said they rejected earlier drafts, which failed to mention key UN Security Council resolutions that are principles to ending the conflict.
Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, said the conference could still go ahead without a declaration. Yesterday, Olmert announced the release of prisoners - who are all members of Abbas' Fatah movement - and also repeated a government promise to remove "illegal outposts", which are Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank that are not authorised by Israel. He said Israel would not build more settlements, but stopped short of announcing a freeze of activity in all settlements, a road map commitment.
"Olmert has to understand he either declares a full settlement freeze in all occupied areas including East Jerusalem, or it's nothing," said Saeb Erekat, a senior Palestinian negotiator.
The Olmert announcement was welcomed by the Arab League, which must decide on Thursday whether to attend the Annapolis talks. Amr Moussa, the Arab League secretary-general, told journalists in Cairo that the details of the Olmert offer would have to be made clear, but added: "We hope that it will produce a commitment." "I feel some encouragement," Moussa concluded, adding that any Arab League delegation to Annapolis would be on the level of foreign minister. Olmert is due to fly to Egypt today.
Moussa was speaking after meetings yesterday with Britain's foreign secretary, David Miliband, who spent three days in the region. "It's noteworthy that [the announcement] is being made a week before conference, and not being held back until the weekend," Miliband, who will be attending the Annapolis conference, said.
The foreign secretary also assured Syria that its desire to discuss the disputed Golan Heights would be accommodated if Damascus sent a delegation. "I think ... Syria will be able to make their points, without losing sight of the fact that the issue at the heart of the conference is the creation of an independent Palestinian state living next door to a secure Israel," Miliband said.
Tony Blair, now working on improving the Palestinian economy, announced that the two sides had agreed work could begin on four projects intended to restart economic growth in the Palestinian territories. The projects cover a sewage treatment plant in northern Gaza, an agro-industrial park near Jericho, an industrial zone near Hebron and improved access to Bethlehem for tourists. More proposals will follow.
"The political vision, building of capacity for a Palestinian state, and the economic facts of what is happening, all three have to be dealt with," Blair said. "With these projects we found a way through."
"Olmert has to understand he either declares a full settlement freeze in all occupied areas including East Jerusalem, or it's nothing," said Saeb Erekat, a senior Palestinian negotiator.
The Olmert announcement was welcomed by the Arab League, which must decide on Thursday whether to attend the Annapolis talks. Amr Moussa, the Arab League secretary-general, told journalists in Cairo that the details of the Olmert offer would have to be made clear, but added: "We hope that it will produce a commitment." "I feel some encouragement," Moussa concluded, adding that any Arab League delegation to Annapolis would be on the level of foreign minister. Olmert is due to fly to Egypt today.
Moussa was speaking after meetings yesterday with Britain's foreign secretary, David Miliband, who spent three days in the region. "It's noteworthy that [the announcement] is being made a week before conference, and not being held back until the weekend," Miliband, who will be attending the Annapolis conference, said.
The foreign secretary also assured Syria that its desire to discuss the disputed Golan Heights would be accommodated if Damascus sent a delegation. "I think ... Syria will be able to make their points, without losing sight of the fact that the issue at the heart of the conference is the creation of an independent Palestinian state living next door to a secure Israel," Miliband said.
Tony Blair, now working on improving the Palestinian economy, announced that the two sides had agreed work could begin on four projects intended to restart economic growth in the Palestinian territories. The projects cover a sewage treatment plant in northern Gaza, an agro-industrial park near Jericho, an industrial zone near Hebron and improved access to Bethlehem for tourists. More proposals will follow.
"The political vision, building of capacity for a Palestinian state, and the economic facts of what is happening, all three have to be dealt with," Blair said. "With these projects we found a way through."
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IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il
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