A reminder: Israel Government Accepts Bush Roadmap (independent
Palestinian state) with unpublished remarks dropping independent provisional
state
Dr. Aaron Lerner 7 June, 2020

As some elements of the national camp launch a campaign that it is better
to forego applying Israeli law to the Jordan Valley, Israeli communities and
more if such a move is associated with the presence of any verbiage
mentioning a Palestinian state, it is noteworthy that such wording would be
hardly "groundbreaking". A look back to 2003 with Prime Minister Sharon and
Treasury Minister Netanyahu (he was Foreign Minister when the Roadmap was
announced and Finance Minister when the Government affirmed acceptance of
the Roadmap with remarks.):

#1 The Roadmap:

Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
April 30, 2003

A Performance-Based Roadmap to a Permanent
Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
...A settlement, negotiated between the parties, will result in the
emergence of an independent, democratic, and viable Palestinian state living
side by side in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbors.
...Phase II: Transition -- June 2003-December 2003
In the second phase, efforts are focused on the option of creating an
independent Palestinian state with provisional borders and attributes of
sovereignty, based on the new constitution, as a way station to a permanent
status settlement.
...
Phase III: Permanent Status Agreement and End of the Israeli-Palestinian
Conflict -- 2004 - 2005
...Parties reach final and comprehensive permanent status agreement that
ends the Israel-Palestinian conflict in 2005, through a settlement
negotiated between the parties based on UNSCR 242, 338, and 1397, that ends
the occupation that began in 1967, and includes an agreed, just, fair, and
realistic solution to the refugee issue, and a negotiated resolution on the
status of Jerusalem that takes into account the political and religious
concerns of both sides, and protects the religious interests of Jews,
Christians, and Muslims worldwide, and fulfills the vision of two states,
Israel and sovereign, independent, democratic and viable Palestine, living
side-by-side in peace and security.

#2. Israel accepts with "remarks"
The Israeli Government refused to officially publish these "remarks". The
text of the "remarks" were leaked the same day by someone to IMRA. Once
IMRA published the text it appeared in Haaretz and elsewhere. For years the
Government of Israel's official website showed the Haaretz report without
taking a position on its veracity.
+++
Sunday, May 25, 2003
STATEMENT FROM PM'S BUREAU
Israel Government Press Office Israel Sent: Sunday, May 25, 2003 7:14 PM
Sunday, May 25, 2003 7:14 PM

The Government of Israel, today (Sunday), 25.5.03, considered the Prime
Minister's statement on the Roadmap, as well as Israel's comments on its
implementation. Following its deliberations, the Government, by a
majority vote, resolved:

Based on the 23 May 2003 statement of the United States Government, in which
the United States committed to fully and seriously address Israel's comments
to the Roadmap during the implementation phase, the Prime Minister announced
on 23 May 2003 that Israel has agreed to accept the steps set out in the
Roadmap.

The Government of Israel affirms the Prime Minister's announcement, and
resolves that all of Israel's comments, as addressed in the Administration's
statement, will be implemented in full during the implementation phase of
the Roadmap.

A list of the comments forwarded by Israel for the review of the
Administration in the United States has been attached to this decision.
...
====
The Roadmap: Primary Themes of Israel's Remarks [as leaked to IMRA and
published subsequently by Haaretz]
...
2. Full performance will be a condition for progress between phases and for
progress within phases... Attention will be paid not to timelines, but to
performance benchmarks (timelines will serve only as reference points).
...
5. The character of the provisional Palestinian state will be determined
through negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. The
provisional state will have provisional borders and certain aspects of
sovereignty, be fully demilitarized with no military forces, but only with
police and internal security forces of limited scope and armaments, be
without the authority to undertake defense alliances or military
cooperation, and Israeli control over the entry and exit of all persons and
cargo, as well as of its air space and electromagnetic spectrum.
________________________________________
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