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GAZA-JERICHO AGREEMENT -
LETTERS
Letter from PLO Chairman
Yasser Arafat to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin:
May 4, 1994
Yitzhak Rabin
Prime Minister of Israel
Mr. Prime Minister,
With regard to the Agreement
on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area, signed in Cairo on May 4, 1994
(hereinafter 'the Agreement'), the PLO hereby confirms the following:
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The PLO undertakes to
ensure that the Palestinian Authority, including the Palestinian
Police and other Palestinian Authority agencies, will function in
accordance with the Agreement, and that the Palestinian Authority
will activate the coordination and cooperation mechanism in a timely
manner.
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The PLO undertakes to
cooperate with Israel, and to assist it, in its efforts to locate
and to return to Israel Israeli soldiers who are missing in action
and the bodies of killed soldiers which have not been recovered.
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The PLO undertakes to
submit to the next meeting of the Palestinian National Council for
formal approval the necessary changes in regard to the Palestinian
Covenant, as undertaken in the letter dated September 9, 1993 signed
by the Chairman of the PLO and addressed to the Prime Minister of
Israel.
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When Chairman Arafat
enters the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area, he will use the title
'Chairman (Ra'ees in Arabic) of the Palestinian Authority' or
'Chairman of the PLO', and will not use the title 'President of
Palestine.'
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Neither side shall
initiate or take any step that will change the status of the Gaza
Strip and the Jericho Area pending the outcome of the permanent
status negotiations.
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Pursuant to Article IV,
paragraph 3, of the Agreement, the PLO shall inform the Government
of Israel of the names of the members of the Palestinian Authority
in a letter that shall be provided within a week of signing the
Agreement. The appointment of these members to the Palestinian
Authority shall take effect upon an exchange of letters between the
PLO and the Government of Israel. Changes in the membership of the
Palestinian Authority will take effect upon an exchange of letters
between the PLO and the Government of Israel.
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Immediately after the
conclusion of the Agreement, early empowerment negotiations will
commence pursuant to Article VI of the Declaration of Principles,
and the two sides will explore possible expansion of the scope of
these negotiations beyond the five spheres.
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The two sides will
intensify the negotiations on the interim arrangements consistant
with the Declaration of Principles and guided by its target date.
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The two sides reiterate
their commitment to commence permanent status negotiations as soon
as possible, but no later than the beginning of the third year of
the interim period, as provided for in Article V of the Declaration
of Principles.
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As regards the relations
between Israel and the PLO, and without derogating from the
commitments contained in the letters dated September 9, 1993 signed
by and exchanged between the Prime Minister of Israel and the
Chairman of the PLO, the two sides will apply between them the
provisions contained in Article XII, paragraph 1, with the necessary
changes.
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The two Parties shall,
within one month of signing the Agreement, invite the Governments of
Jordan and Egypt to establish the Continuing Committee referred to
in Article XII of the Declaration of Principles and in Article XVI
of the Agreement.
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The Government of Israel
and the Palestinian Authority shall pass all necessary legislation
to implement the Agreement.
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The two Parties shall
continue discussions on the following issues:
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the size of the
Jericho Area;
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the positioning of a
Palestinian official at the bridge;
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additional
arrangement in the Rafah passage; and
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all outstanding
issues specified in the Agreement.
Sincerely,
Yasser Arafat
Chairman The Palestinian Liberation Organization
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