|
Author
|
Topic: Road map to ME Peace- 7 year covenant could be signed by 2005!
|
Trafield
unregistered
|
posted
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/ShowFull%26cid=1041074090000
Dec. 29, 2002
'Post' exclusive: The revised road map
By HERB KEINON
Contrary to news reports, there is little substantive difference in the overall outline of the road map agreed upon by the Quartet in Washington earlier this month, and the plan's previous two drafts, judging by a summary of the revised road map obtained by The Jerusalem Post.
The third draft of the three-stage road map - a plan intended to bring about the establishment of a Palestinian state by 2005 - is expected to be approved by the Quartet and publicized after its next meeting in early February.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon persuaded US President George W. Bush to put off the road map until after the January 28 elections, arguing that no transitional cabinet would approve the document.
A copy of the road map was sent to Jerusalem two weeks ago, but has not yet been published.
Sources close to the White House say the road map has become a major bone of contention between the White House and the State Department, with the State Department jealously guarding the process and keeping some key White House players out of the loop.
According to the summary, released to the Post by a senior Quartet diplomat, the first stage of the plan is to run from January to June 2003, and makes explicit reference to the Tenet plan, Mitchell plan, and Saudi peace initiative. Israel had lobbied to remove references to the Saudi initiative because of its call for a return to the June 4, 1967 borders.
The first stage also gives a role to the Quartet - the US, EU, Russia, and UN - in informal monitoring and consultation with the parties.
Throughout the plan the Quartet is given a crucial role as referee, determining whether the sides have lived up to their commitments and when they can move from one stage to the next. Israel has made clear it does not want to see the Quartet as final arbiter of whether the sides have fulfilled their commitments.
The first stage is also not based on a step-by-step approach, which Israel had hoped for, but rather calls for Israel and the Palestinians to take their actions in parallel. Israel wants the process to be sequential, whereby it only has to make concessions after the Palestinians take real steps to halt terror.
Yet the revised version also includes certain elements Israel wants to see added. For instance, while in the first draft the Palestinians were only expected to call for an end to the violence, in this version they are called upon to take concrete steps, such as to begin collecting illegal weapons.
Also, the Palestinian state with provisional borders that is to be established in the second stage is not be completely sovereign, but rather have "attributes of sovereignty." The first stage includes the following:
Both Israel and the Palestinians are to call for an end to violence and both promise to stop incitement.
Israel-Palestinian security cooperation is to be renewed.
Israel is to enact a total settlement freeze including natural growth and dismantle settlement outposts set up since March 2000.
Israel is to stop "attacks on civilians, deportation, building demolition," and is to return to positions held before September 28, 2000.
The Palestinians are to hold elections as soon as possible.
The Palestinians are to undertake "visible efforts to arrest, disrupt, and restrain terrorists." The PA security apparatus is to "begin sustained targeted operations against terror and commence confiscation of weapons."
The Palestinians are to undertake security and political reforms. The political reforms are to include the appointment of an interim prime minister or "empowered cabinet with executive authority," and the start of formulating a constitution.
Under this road map, the second stage is to start in June and end in December 2003. It is to begin after elections in the PA and end with the creation of a Palestinian state with provisional borders.
The centerpiece of this stage is to be an international conference convened by the Quartet where an agreement will be reached on the establishment of a Palestinian state. Movement from the first to the second stage will be determined by the Quartet based upon "consensus judgment of the Quartet, taking into account performance of both parties."
Although "consensus judgement" would give the US veto power, questions have been raised over whether the US would be any more willing to use a veto in this forum for Israel's benefit than it is in the UN Security Council.
During this stage, the Palestinians will be called upon to formally establish the office of prime minister, ratify a constitution, and consolidate political reform and institution building.
Movement to the third stage is again to be determined by the Quartet, and is to run from January 2004 to 2005.
In this stage the sides are to attend a second international conference. This conference is to be for final status talks on borders, settlements, refugees, and Jerusalem, based on UN Security Council resolutions 242, 338, and 1397.
The talks are to find an "agreed, just, fair, and realistic solution to the refugee issue," as well as a "negotiated resolution to Jerusalem."
IP: Logged | 
|
|
|
Printer-friendly view of this topic
