Palestinian President Yasser Arafat is considering unilaterally declaring a Palestinian state when he addresses a convention of the UN General Assembly over the weekend, the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper has reported.
The paper quoted “sources well informed on the Palestinian-Israeli file,” as saying that the president believes that he will have the backing of many states, and that such a declaration will help him create a new reality on the ground, and split the US-led coalition against terrorism.
Meanwhile, the paper quoted sources in the Arab group at the UN as saying that they will not be pushing for an anti-Israeli statement to be issued by the international organization. They said they would rather give way to the anticipated meeting between Arafat and US President George W Bush on the sidelines on the UN meeting.
The Palestinians and the US, said the paper, still argue over the text of such a statement and Palestinian observer at the body said that the former would not accept any wording that would refer to Jewish settlers in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as “Israeli civilians.”
In the Israeli camp, the Tel Aviv-based Haaretz said that Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told Army Radio on Tuesday he had not heard of Arafat’s reported plan, but that if there was one, he did not believe Arafat would ultimately go ahead with a unilateral declaration of independence. "If Arafat does this," Peres said, "he will be taking a huge risk, because it will be a Palestinian state without borders."
Arab Knesset Member Ahmad Tibi (Ta'al), a former personal advisor to Arafat, was quoted by the paper as saying that Arafat could not go ahead with a declaration of independence without first taking the matter to the required Palestinian institutions. "Until now," Tibi said, "this idea has not been re-discussed by the appropriate PLO forums. Generally, when such a decision is made, at least the PLO central committee has to okay it and vote on it."
Meanwhile, Haaretz reported Tuesday that Peres is hatching a new diplomatic plan which proposes a staged creation of a Palestinian state, starting in the Gaza Strip. Peres presented Sharon with the plan on Sunday.
Sharon said Monday he had already seen a draft of the plan being worked on by Peres. "We don't yet have an agreed plan, but we are definitely discussing it," he told the Likud faction in the Knesset.
He said the current Peres plan does not include any proposals to remove settlements, "but it definitely has some interesting elements. Whether it's a joint plan, I'll only know when we finish our deliberations."
The Peres plan includes the following, according to the paper:
“Cease-fire: Israel will not negotiate under fire.
Goals: Israel will negotiate with the Palestinians to reach a final settlement on the basis of UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.
Statehood: A Palestinian state will be established. It will be demilitarized, and its borders will be determined through negotiations. Sharon said Monday that he has often said that he is ready for painful compromises for peace, but that in any deal with the Palestinians, he will insist that Israel retain control over the broadest possible section of the Jordan Valley, as well as a narrower strip in the western part of the West Bank.
Gaza first: The first model for implementing the plan would be in Gaza, where the Palestinians have territorial contiguity.
Jerusalem: The status quo will remain, including Palestinian control over the Temple Mount. If it becomes impossible to reach a written agreement on Jerusalem, the issue will be postponed and the city's management will continue in its present form.
Refugees: There will be no right of return for Palestinian refugees inside the state of Israel. An international committee will be established to arrange for compensation for Palestinian refugees and Jewish refugees from Arab countries.
The American element: The U.S. will guarantee the final designated borders of the state of Israel. Israel will coordinate politically with the U.S.
Defense treaty: Israel will seek a defense treaty with the U.S.” – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
