israelinsider: diplomacy:Palestinians accept Mitchell report; Israel disappointed

Palestinians accept Mitchell report; Israel disappointed
By Ellis Shuman May 8, 2001


		05/07 Sharon sees bad, Peres good in Mitchell report Jerusalem Post 05/06 The Mitchell report on Israeli-Palestinian violence Ha'aretz 05/06 Israel sticks to settlement policy BBC

Foreign Affairs Minister Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at a recent Israeli cabinet meeting. (Reuters)

Commentary - The Mitchell report: "Arafat wins 10 - 0.5"

Mitchell Commission presents its "balanced" report

Commission handed different versions of Intifada beginnings

IMRA

The report of the Mitchell Commission, presented to Israeli and Palestinian officials on Friday, has met with mixed reactions. While the Palestinians accepted the report in its entirety, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon rejected some of the report's conclusions, in contrast to Foreign Affairs Minister Shimon Peres who concluded that it was a "fair and balanced document."

At the Israel cabinet's weekly meeting Sunday, Sharon expressed disappointment that the Mitchell Commission did not find the Palestinians responsible for starting and continuing the violence.

"The Israeli position is known and clear - that the recent

The Mitchell Commission's findings "offer a way out of the present crisis"
- Palestinian Minister of Information Yasser Abed Rabbo

wave of violence is the result of a strategic decision taken by the Palestinian Authority immediately after the Camp David summit," Sharon said.

Sharon said that the PA had violated the agreement between Israel and the Palestinians to resolve all disputes at the negotiations table. "The key to peace... is Palestinian willingness to return the principles of the peace process," he added.

Sharon said the Commission's call for a freeze on settlement activity is unacceptable to Israel.

Foreign Affairs Minister Shimon Peres stated on Sunday that the report of the Mitchell Commission "is a document of great importance… and establishes that a settlement cannot be forced upon the parties, and that it requires the consent of both sides."

In a statement released by the Foreign Ministry, Peres said, "[The Mitchell report] states that the Palestinians must cease the gunfire and the violence, and that after this is done, the two parties should carry out confidence building measures in order to facilitate efforts towards the implementation of the agreements they have signed."

In conclusion, Peres stated, "the report is a fair and balanced document."

Palestinians accept report in its entirety
The Palestinian Authority accepted the Mitchell Commission report in its entirety. Palestinian Minister of Information Yasser Abed Rabbo said on Sunday that the Commission's findings "offer a way out of the present crisis."

Abed Rabbo reiterated a proposal aired earlier by Arafat, calling for a conference at Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss the implementation of the Mitchell report's recommendations.

Bassam Abu Sharif, an adviser to PA Chairman Yasser Arafat said "the report can serve as the basis for negotiations over a cease-fire agreement and the resumption of negotiations. That is why President Arafat called for another Sharm e-Sheikh summit," Abu Sharif said.

Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti said the Mitchell report was "not balanced enough," and "useless" as a basis for a cease-fire agreement. Quoted in the Jerusalem Post, Barghouti said, "The report did not demand the full withdrawal of Israeli forces form the West Bank, Gaza, and east Jerusalem... So it will not achieve anything on the ground."