ב.1 | List of Documents
Transcription of a handwritten entry, Hirschfeld Diary, Nov.-Dec. 1992
Ashrawi presents the Palestinian position in talks with the Israeli delegation in Washington. Some understandings have been reached but the Palestinians face many difficulties. The negative attitude of the Israeli representatives.
P 5513/4
Peres justifies the government’s decision to deport 415 Hamas operatives to Lebanon and reviews the state of the peace process. He proposes political measures and economic projects to promote negotiations with the Palestinians. Husseini’s proposals for confidence-building measures.
P 6262/9
Before another meeting with Peres, they met with Hanan Ashrawi, who presented additional proposals for solving the problem of the deportees in Lebanon and confidence-building measures, and the principles of an Israeli-Palestinian agreement. She handed them an unofficial internal Palestinian document containing 13 points for agreement.
P 5513/4
Opening remarks by Abu Ala: The negotiations are at a critical stage, if there is no progress the extremists will gain strength. He details the PLO’s positions in the negotiations and his attitude to the “Gaza First” proposal.
5. Yair Hirschfeld and Ron Pundak to Deputy Foreign Minister Yossi Beilin, Jerusalem; January 24, 1993
P 5513/4
A report on the talks with the PLO delegation and Abu Ala’s proposals for an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. His message was confirmed by Yasser Arafat and Abu Mazen. The advantages of the proposal for both Israel and the PLO. At the first stage it will be presented as an “American plan“.
6. Yair Hirschfeld to Deputy Foreign Minister Yossi Beilin, Jerusalem (in English); February 18, 1993
P 5513/4
Evaluates the proposals formulated in Sarpsborg and their advantages for Israel. The next step is to inform Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
7. The Sarpsborg document (in English); March 21, 1993
P 5514/1
The document is on p.5, following a report on the meeting. It includes understandings with the PLO delegation on the purpose of the negotiations, a draft statement of principles and proposals for a package of economic measures.
7A. An earlier draft of the document, March 20 1993
8. Record of Terje Larsen’s meeting with Yossi Beilin; Tel Aviv, April 11, 1993
P 5513/7
In a meeting attended by Hirschfeld and Pundak, Larsen said that Abu Ala is putting great pressure on the Norwegians to get real achievements following the meetings with the Israelis. Larsen’s suggestion that another Israeli, possibly Beilin, join the talks. Israel’s decision not to continue the meetings until the talks resume in Washington.
9. Record of a meeting with Foreign Minister Shimon Peres; April 25, 1993
P 5513/7
Instructions for another meeting with the Palestinians, their request for an enclave in the Jericho area.
10. Uri Savir, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jerusalem, to Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, Jerusalem; May 22, 1993
P 5513/7
His impressions of his first meeting with the Palestinians in Oslo.
11. Joel Singer to Foreign Minister Shimon Peres; Tel Aviv, June 5, 1993
- 5513/1
Singer’s opinion on the draft Declaration of Principles: in his opinion, the concept that the five-year transition period will start immediately with the signing of the Declaration of Principles while gradually transferring powers is extremely positive. However, there is room for improvements in order to deal with issues that were not addressed and to correct the wording.
Appendix 1: Alternative options for ruling the Gaza Strip after its evacuation by the IDF in order to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state in Gaza
Appendix 2. Proposal for an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian delegation
12. Joel Singer to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres; June 15, 1993
P 5513/7
A report by Singer on his meeting with Abu Ala on June 13, describing the main points of the agreed statement of principles and points that require clarification.
13. PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, Tunis, to the Israeli team at the Oslo talks (in English); July 11, 1993
P 5513/2
Arafat emphasizes the importance of significant withdrawal steps as soon as possible and his return to Palestinian territory after the withdrawal. He reiterates the PLO’s commitment to a compromise that will serve the interests of both parties.
14. Yair Hirschfeld and Ron Pundak to Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, Deputy Foreign Minister Yossi Beilin and Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Uri Savir, Jerusalem; July 13, 1993
P 5513/8
Report on the meetings in Norway on July 10-11, 1993: Arafat’s letter, the new Palestinian demands; the delegation’s response and the halt in the talks; attempts to prevent a crisis. According to the authors, the talks were difficult, but they learned from them about the decision-making process in the PLO and the extent of Egyptian influence and clarified Israel’s red lines.
P 5513/2
A description of his two meetings with Yasser Arafat in Tunis; a public meeting in which Arafat attacked the Israelis and the Americans, and a closed one in which “we met another Arafat.” It is clear to him that he must close a deal soon. According to him, he trusts the Norwegians because they have no secret agenda or interests in the talks. They discussed the Jericho problem and Holst emphasized the need to end the talks quickly and the difficulty of maintaining secrecy.
16. Meeting with Terje Larsen at the Laromme Hotel; Jerusalem, July 18, 1993
P 5513/2
At a meeting between Shimon Peres, Yossi Beilin and the Israeli negotiating team and Terje Larsen and his wife, Peres presented the Israeli position and emphasized the need to reach an agreement with the PLO as soon as possible. He proposed steps towards an international economic aid programme for Gaza. Peres rejected Larsen’s proposal for a meeting between him and Arafat at this stage.
17. Record of a meeting with Shimon Peres; [Jerusalem], July 28, 1993
- 5513/2
A meeting in which Yossi Beilin, Uri Savir, Yoel Singer, Avi Gil, Shlomo Gur and Ron Pundak discuss Arafat’s return to Gaza and what to tell the Americans. Singer presents a “package deal” with the Palestinians.
18. Summary of the meeting between Yair Hirschfeld and Abu Ala on August 6; [August 1993]
P 5514/3
There are good prospects for progress towards an agreement after the Palestinians adopted more moderate positions. The seven point agreement is a turning point.
Appendix: The Seven Point Agreement
P 5513/8
Words of thanks to Minister Holst, Terje Larsen and Mona Juul and the members of the Norwegian team for their contribution to the agreement; Congratulations to Shimon Peres and the Israeli delegation; the need for cooperation on the way to peace. This is the first step, but the important one is the implementation of the agreement.
20. Yair Hirschfeld and Ron Pundak to Yossi Beilin; September 1, 1993
P 5513/6
A summary of the talks in the Oslo Channel up to the initialling of the agreement, prepared at Beilin’s request
21. Yair Hirschfeld and Ron Pundak to Shimon Peres and Yossi Beilin; September 6, 1993
P 5513/8
Meeting with Faisal Al Husseini and Seri Nusseibeh; concerns regarding the signing of the Declaration of Principles
22. Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Tunis, to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Jerusalem; Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to Yasser Arafat; September 9, 1993
A 412/3
Arafat undertakes on behalf of the PLO to recognize the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security, according to UN Security Council Resolution 242, to renounce violence and terrorism, to accept responsibility for the prevention of terrorism, and to amend the Palestinian Covenant which calls for the elimination of the State of Israel. Further to this letter, Rabin informs him that the Israeli government has decided to recognize the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people and to conduct negotiations with them.
