Moussa: Netanyahu's declarations begin destruction of Wye Plantation agreement
Egypt, Politics, 10/27/1998

Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa described the declarations of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu that Israel had not presented pledges to halt the building of settlements as beginning to abolish the Wye Plantation agreement Israel signed with the Palestinians.

Moussa stated that what is currently important is that Israel should be committed to implementing the agreement with the Palestinians, saying: "We hope that this agreement would change Netanyahu's attitude."

Moussa stated that any additional demands or privileges, such as handing over Israeli spies Azam Azam who is serving a prison term in Egypt and Jonathan Pollard who is imprisoned in the United States arouse astonishment.
The agreement does not include the Palestinians giving up rights to their lands or their rights to establish a state or to a third stage of Israeli redeployment.

Regarding the settlement issue, a problem that has caused much friction and was expressesly condemned by the Palestinians in the past as being a "unilateral action" on Israel's side. The US state department spokesman James Rubin, commented about the clause in the newly signed agreement calling for no "unilateral action" by either side and on whether that includes a time-out on settlements, Rubin said "Let me try to handle it in two ways. First, as regards the possibility of a unilateral declaration of statehood or other unilateral actions by either party outside the negotiating process that prejudge or predetermine the outcome of those negotiations, the US opposes and will oppose any such unilateral actions."

Rubin added "Indeed, the US has maintained for many years that an acceptable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be found through negotiations, not through unilateral actions. As we look to the future, that will remain our policy. For the present, we are doing all we can to promote permanent status negotiations on an accelerated basis, and we are stressing that those who believe that they can declare unilateral positions or take unilateral acts when the interim period ends are courting disaster."

Israel had greatly damaged the peace process according to Palestinians through previous unilateral action on building or expanding settlements , and Egypt's foreign minister highlights the danger of repeating the previous problem so recently after the just signed interim agreement.

Previous Stories:
  Egypt refuses to release Azam Azam   (10/24/1998)
  Moussa describes Palestinan-Israeli agreement as a step in the right direction   (10/24/1998)
  Wye Plantation Israeli demand threatened finished agreement   (10/23/1998)

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