Conclusion of the Camp David Summit
Information Division, Israel Foreign Ministry, July 25, 2000
In the wake of the Camp David Summit, the following points must be
stressed:
- The Middle East Peace Summit at Camp David ended today, July 25,
without an agreement being reached. - Israel came to Camp David with the intention of reaching a
Framework Agreement on the Israeli-Palestinian Permanent Status
(FAPS), in order to bring about an end to the conflict and to secure
peace for future generations. To reach such an agreement, Israel is
prepared to make painful compromises, yet is unwilling to pay any
price demanded of it. - Israel’s quest for a negotiated peace will continue. Israel
welcomes the upcoming visit of a senior US envoy meant to promote a
continuation of the negotiating process. - The positions presented by Israel at the Summit were well received
and were accorded legitimacy by the US hosts. President Clinton, in
his statement following the Summit, praised the flexibility shown by
Prime Minister Barak and the Israel delegation during the talks. - Many ideas and proposals were presented by Israel during the
course of the negotiations. However, the ground-rules of the Camp
David talks established that, in the absence of an agreement, these
negotiating positions are no longer valid and are rendered null and
void. Consequently, the positions presented by Israel during the
Summit cannot be used as the basis for Palestinian demands, claims
and opening positions in future negotiations. - During the course of the Summit, the Palestinian leadership showed
that it had not yet internalized the need to demonstrate flexibility
and compromise on a number of key issues. In particular, the
positions presented by Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat
with regard to Jerusalem prevented the achievement of an agreement.
The leadership of the Arab world did not provide Arafat with
sufficient backing for a more flexible stance, and demonstrated a
lack of willingness to exert the necessary influence on the
Palestinian delegation to bring about an internalization of the need
for real compromise. - Any possible unilateral actions by the Palestinians in the wake of
the Summit are unjustified and counterproductive. The ongoing
relationship between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and the
conduct of negotiations between them, must be based upon mutual
agreement and remain free of external pressure.
In this regard, the parties declared in their statement at the end of
the Summit:“The two sides understand the importance of avioding
unilateral actions that prejudge the outcome of
negotiations, and their therir differences will be resolved
only by good faith negotiations” - Some Palestinian circles have intimated and even declared that
they intend to resort to violence should the Camp David Summit fail.
There is not justification for such a reaction, and Israel will do
everything within its authority to maintain calm and prevent
violence.
