1 September 1993
2
3
4 Middle East Peace Process: September 1993
5
6 Correspondence between Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the
7 Palestine Liberation Organization, and Yitzhak Rabin,
8 Prime Minister of Israel and Yasser Arafat and Jorgen
9 Holst, Foreign Minister of Norway
10
11 ........edited by Marijan Salopek
12
13 ===================================
14
15 Letter from Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Palestine Liberation
16 Organization to Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel.
17
18 September 9, 1993
19
20 Mr. Prime Minister,
21
22 The signing of the Declaration of Principles marks a new era
23 in the history of the Middle East. In firm conviction thereof, I
24 would like to confirm the following PLO commitments:
25 The PLO recognizes the right of the State of Israel to exist
26 in peace and security.
27 The PLO accepts United Nations Security Council Resolutions
28 242 and 338.
29 The PLO commits itself to the Middle East peace process and
30 to a peaceful resolution of the conflict between the two sides,
31 and declares that all outstanding issues relating to permanent
32 status will be resolved through negotiations.
33 The PLO considers that the signing of the Declaration of
34 Principles constitutes a historic event, inaugurating a new epoch
35 of peaceful co-existence, free from violence and all other acts
36 which endanger peace and stability. Accordingly, the PLO
37 renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence and
38 will assume responsibility over all PLO elements and personnel in
39 order to assure their compliance, prevent violations and
40 discipline violators.
41 In view of the promise of a new era and the signing of the
42 Declaration of Principles and based on Palestinian acceptance of
43 Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, the PLO affirms that
44 those articles of the Palestinian Covenant which deny Israel's
45 right to exist, and the provisions of the Covenant which are
46 inconsistent with the commitments of this letter are now
47 inoperative and no longer valid. Consequently, the PLO
48 undertakes to submit to the Palestinian National Council for
49 formal approval the necessary changes in regard to the
50 Palestinian Covenant.
51
52 Sincerely
53
54 Yasser Arafat
55 Chairman
56 Palestine Liberation Organization
57
58 ========================
59
60 Letter from Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel, to Yasser
61 Arafat, Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
62
63 September 9, 1993
64
65 Mr. Chairman,
66
67 In response to your letter of September 9, 1993, I wish to
68 confirm to you that, in light of the PLO commitments included in
69 your letter, the Government of Israel has decided to recognize
70 the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people and
71 commence negotiations with the PLO within the Middle East peace
72 process.
73
74 Yitzhak Rabin
75 Prime Minister of Israel
76
77 ==========================
78
79 Letter from Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Palestine Liberation
80 Organization, to Jorgen Holst, Foreign Minister of Norway.
81
82 September 9, 1993
83
84 Dear Minister Holst,
85
86 I would like to confirm to you that, upon the signing of the
87 Declaration of Principles, I will include the following positions
88 in my public statements:
89 In light of the new era marked by the signing of the
90 Declaration of Principles, the PLO encourages and calls upon the
91 Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to take part
92 in the steps leading to the normalization of life, rejecting
93 violence and terrorism, contributing to peace and stability and
94 participating actively in shaping reconstruction, economic
95 development and co-operation.
96
97 Sincerely
98
99 Yasser Arafat
100 Chairman
101 Palestine Liberation Organization
102
103 =========================
104
105 Source: Government of Israel, Prime Minister's Office, 9 September 1993.