Last update - 04:13 09/11/2007
Israel, PA agree: Future deal must be based on first stage of road map
By Barak Ravid
Israel and the Palestinian Authority agreed yesterday that any future agreement between them will be conditional to the implementation of the first stage of the road map, which includes Palestinian counter-terrorism operations and a freeze on construction in the settlements.
The agreement, which follows two weeks of stalemate in the negotiations between the two sides, may pave the way to the drafting of a shared declaration that will be presented at the Annapolis peace summit later this month.
In talks between the two negotiating teams in Tel Aviv yesterday, it was agreed that "any implementation of agreements in the future will be conditional to both sides carrying out what they must in accordance with the first stage of the road map." It is expected that a similar formulation will appear in the joint declaration the two sides will make at Annapolis.
As part of the first stage of the road map, the Palestinians are obligated to undertake a series of security-related activities, with particular emphasis on counter-terrorism actions against militant groups, collecting weapons and arresting militants.
For it part, Israel is obligated to freeze construction in settlements, evacuate illegal outposts and withdraw from Palestinian cities.
During the second stage of the road map, a Palestinian state will be established within interim borders, and during the third stage a Palestinian state will be established as part of a final settlement.
An Israeli political source stressed that "the Palestinians have agreed to a formula according to which they must fulfill their obligations in the security area, prior to any move to the next stage."
Reiterating what has already been agreed on, the two sides concluded yesterday that a monitoring mechanism headed by the United States will ensure that each side meets its obligations in the implementation of the first stage of the road map.
However, the agreement is general and there is no accord on the specific functions of the monitoring mechanism.
According to the same political source, now that the two sides have agreed on how to proceed "it is possible to begin work on drafting the joint declaration that will be presented at the Annapolis summit."
He said that the two sides would meet again on the matter next week.
The Palestinian agreement was achieved yesterday after two weeks of refusal to show flexibility on this issue. The head of the Palestinian negotiating team, Ahmed Qureia, was particularly adamant about the Palestinian position.
In spite of earlier understandings between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Qureia insisted that for their part the Palestinians had fulfilled their obligation according to the first stage of the road map, and said it was possible to proceed forward toward a final settlement.
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Qureia met three times during the past week, and Livni emphasized that Israel would not back down from its insistence that the Palestinians must acknowledge fully their obligations according to the road map.