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Peace Proposals

Al Hayat Al Jadidah newspaper included an article on December 12, 1998 stating what had been implemented and what had not of the Wye River Memorandum. The Memorandum signed on October 23, 1998 included a Time Line schedule for the implementation of the Memorandum. The Israeli Army implemented its first withdrawal operation from areas of the West Bank on November 20, 1998. Then suddenly, Israel stopped for an unlimited period the next withdrawal operation, which was scheduled to take place on December 18, 1988, accusing the Palestinians of violating the terms of the agreement. The Palestinians had rejected those accusations, and the United States called both sides to abide by the Time Line of the Memorandum.

1. The Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Central Council reaffirmed the letter of January 22, 1998 from PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat to President Clinton concerning the nullification of the Palestine National Charter provisions that are inconsistent with the letters exchanged between the PLO and the Government of Israel on September 9/10, 1993.

2. The Palestine National Authority submitted a schedule for outlawing and combating terrorism.

3. The Palestine National Authority issued laws that allow for raising judicial cases against persons who incite terror against Israel, or carry unlicensed weapons. The operations for the confiscation of unlicensed weapons started on December 6, 1998.

4. Israel transferred two percent of the West Bank Territory to the Partial control of the Palestinian Authority, and withdrew its Army from one percent of the territory which was under shared control.

5. Israel allowed the opening of Gaza International Airport.

6. Israel released 250 Palestinian prisoners.

7. The Central Council of the PLO had voted for canceling the articles of the Palestinian National Charter that are against Israel.

What had not been Implemented

Al Hayat Al Jadidah newspaper published an article on December 7, 1998 by Nabeel Abo Rudeineh, Advisor to Chairman Yasser Arafat stating: “We strongly rejected the accusations launched by Prime Minister Netanyahu on December 6, 1998, and we consider them totally untrue and against facts. The Israeli side was the one who postponed the meetings scheduled for the final status negotiations, and violated the agreement of releasing the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli Jails. The Israeli Government is asked to implement the second part of the Israeli withdrawal and redeployment of the secured phase in its time. The Israeli side is also required to stop the unilateral measures regarding settlements and confiscation of Palestinian lands.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu announced his determination to freeze the implementation of Wye River Memorandum accusing the PNA of violating the agreement. Netanyahu asked the PNA to stop what he called incitement of terror and violence, to stop the claims of releasing Palestinian Prisoners from Israeli Jails, and to cancel its determination to declare the Palestinian State unilaterally. Netanyahu announced that he rejects the partial withdrawal from the West Bank as scheduled in the Wye River agreement unless the Palestinians fulfill his demands. As the PNA refused to fulfill Netanyahu’s unjust demands, the peace process froze from January 1999 till the Israelis decided to change the leadership of Netanyahu and replace it by the leadership of Ehud Barak on June 1999. Barak’s statements are encouraging, and the Arabs and the whole world are optimistic that he will be able to achieve comprehensive peace on all tracks.

September 6, 1999

Professor Dr. Ahmad Tell, of Jordanian origin, is Dean of Zarka Private National Community College in Zarka, Jordan. In 1980 he received an Award of Distinction from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. He is the author of several books and publications: Higher Education in Jordan , published in 1997, including Abdullah Tell, the Hero and Why Did the Arabs Fail?, both of which are currently under print. Dr.Tell also wrote a research paper about the former Prime Minister Samir Rifai and the Palestinian cause in 1997.

Dr.Tell was an officer in the Arab Legion from 1946-1950 and fought in the Arab-Israeli War of 1948.