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Wye deal to launch final talksBy DANNA HARMAN and HILLEL KUTTLERWASHINGTON (October 25) - Israel and the Palestinian Authority signed the Wye Memorandum at the White House on Friday, capping nine days of round-the-clock negotiations and paving the way for final-status talks. The long-overdue agreement is to be implemented over a 12-week period, in accordance with a very specific schedule. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was scheduled to arrive back in Israel this afternoon, and is expected to bring the agreement to the cabinet for ratification later this week. Pending ratification, implementation of the agreement is to begin in 10 days. As the schedule specifies, the significant Israeli pullback will not take place until the end of week six - but maps of the entire planned redeployment will be shown to the Palestinians right after Netanyahu presents them to the cabinet. Netanyahu also intends to present the cabinet with details of the aid package - thought to be nearly $1 billion - the US has committed to giving Israel to help carry out the redeployment by relocating bases, building new roads, etc. In addition, certain unpublicized assurances - written and oral - that have been given to Israel by the US, regarding such issues as the third redeployment and the Palestinian plan to declare statehood, are also to be presented to the cabinet. Final-status talks, to be led on the Israeli side by Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon, are to begin here within 10 days. US President Bill Clinton indicated Friday he hopes to convene another trilateral summit next spring to mark progress on the final-status talks. "In the end, after all the twists and turns and ups and downs, all their late and ultimately sleepless nights, both reaffirmed their commitment to the path of peace, and for that the world can be grateful," a weary Clinton said of his equally fatigued partners, before a packed East Room audience at the Friday ceremony. After 20 consecutive hours of talks that began on Thursday morning, the deal was finally clinched at dawn Friday, but was put on hold almost immediately when Netanyahu sought Clinton's assurance that he would free convicted spy Jonathan Pollard from a federal penitentiary and allow him to emigrate to Israel. The noon-time signing was postponed while Clinton and Netanyahu discussed the matter at the Wye River Conference Center. When an understanding was finally reached, the signing was set for late afternoon. By the time the White House ceremony concluded, there were fewer than 10 minutes to spare before the onset of Shabbat - as Clinton himself mentioned in his remarks. In the end, Clinton pledged to "review the [Pollard] matter seriously," but said he gave "no commitment as to the outcome of this review." Netanyahu said the Wye deal benefits both sides and leaves him "brimming with some confidence" that Israel and the Palestinians can reach a final accord, though "I guarantee you it will not be easy." "We are more secure today, because for the first time since the signing of the Oslo Accords, we will see concrete and verifiable commitments carried out," Netanyahu said. "Our Palestinian partners will join us in fighting terrorism. They will follow a detailed and systematic plan to fight terrorists and their infrastructure, to jail killers that have so far roamed at large, to stop vitriolic incitement, and above all, finally, after 35 years, to cancel the articles in the Palestinian Charter which call for the destruction of Israel." The president also took note of the domestic gamble each man had undertaken in coming to Wye, departing from his prepared text to say that they both expect extremists to undermine the deal and "that in the short run, they themselves may have put themselves at greater risk." Clinton praised Netanyahu for "having stood so firmly" on behalf of Israel's security, and Arafat for "tenaciously defending the interests of his people." Clinton called the accord a mutually beneficial outcome that moves them "another step closer toward fulfilling the promise of the Oslo Accords." "This agreement is good for Israel's security. The commitments made by the Palestinians were very strong, the strongest of any we have ever seen. They include continuous security cooperation with Israel, and a comprehensive plan against terrorism and its support infrastructure," Clinton said. "This agreement is good for the political and economic well-being of Palestinians. It significantly expands areas under Palestinian authority to some 40 percent of the West Bank. It also offers the Palestinian people new economic opportunities. ... The Palestinian people will be able to breathe a little easier and benefit from the fruits of peace. "Most important, perhaps, this agreement is good for the peace process itself." But Clinton also put the onus on Netanyahu and Arafat to "assume faithful implementation" of what they had agreed on. "It will test whether the Palestinian people is prepared to live at peace, recognizing Israel's permanence, legitimacy, and a common interest in security," Clinton said. "It will tell us whether Israelis are willing to help build a strong Palestinian entity that can fulfill the aspirations of its people and provide both real security and real partnership for both Palestinians and Israelis." The hastily arranged signing ceremony had the feel of a three-way mutual congratulation society of disaster survivors, with all speakers paying tribute to the others' endurance, determination, and sincerity at Wye River. Applause rang out often during the 85 minutes of speeches that preceded the less-than-two minutes it took for Netanyahu, Arafat, and Clinton to sign copies of the document. The emotional high point of the event came during Hussein's address a few minutes earlier, in his first public appearance since coming to the US to begin cancer treatment several months ago. Calling himself "privileged" to have lent a helping hand in the final days of the Wye summit, Hussein had warm words for Clinton and said that in concluding the accord, "We are not marking time, but moving in the right direction. I believe that very sincerely." Poignantly, the chemotherapy-weakened Hussein joked that the Wye experience had left him with no hair or eyebrows. "But this is the life in which we live... And no matter where I would have been, if I had an ounce of strength I would have done my utmost to be there and to help in any way I can. "By the way, many in ... the world have written me off. But I have a lot of faith in God and I believe that one lives one's destiny," Hussein continued, turning sideways to face the seated Netanyahu and Arafat. "And as far as I am concerned, my morale is the highest it has been, and that has been a shot in the arm for me, what you have accomplished today." For the first time, Arafat spoke of Netanyahu as his "co-partner" in the peace process. He called the deal a "late but an ... important" one that he hopes will herald "new relations based on equality" with Israel. He also reached out in an effort to convince Israelis that he is a man of peace who will help safeguard them and faithfully implement his new security obligations. "We are fully committed to whatever is required of us in order to achieve real security and constant peace for every Israeli person," Arafat said. "We will not forget our duties as we underline our rights. ... I will do everything I can so that no Israeli mother will be worried if their son or daughter is late coming home, or any Israeli would be afraid when they hear an explosion. ... "Your security is our security, and peace for your children and our children," Arafat told Netanyahu. "We will work together through the peace process and negotiations, even though they are difficult, in order to achieve a final solution. "We will not go back to violence or confrontation, and we together will be the leaders in order that peace will prevail on our land and the land of our neighbors."
Headlines
The Document
Speeches
Analysis
The Pollard Issue
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