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| Jamie Rubin, Assistant Secretary
Excerpt from Daily Press Briefing Middle East Peace Process October 28, 1998 |
Q: It's hard to do the Middle East in 15 minutes but--MR. RUBIN: We'll try.
Q: Okay, you see, of course, the statements being made in Jerusalem. But there are anonymous people saying things about Netanyahu, for instance. There is a quote in The Washington Times this morning, for instance, that this is not a case of smoking mirrors, suggesting whatever concerns he's raised are theatrical and not sincere. Can you address whether you think he has a basis?
MR. RUBIN: Yes, as I told many of you before, if you look hard enough you can get someone in the State Department to say almost anything. What I say to you is what is authorized by the Secretary of State and those involved in the negotiations. What I have told you is that we regard Prime Minister Netanyahu as having made some very tough decisions, having made some courageous decisions, and now having to deal with the political environment in which Israel exists. We believe that it is his intention to move forward, to carry out these tough decisions that he has made. And we also believe that the Palestinians are going to carry forward in the next few days and provide the necessary security plan.
Those views come from our discussions with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Chairman Arafat and a number of discussions at lower levels. Now, people in the State Department or any other building are entitled to their own opinions, but they don't reflect the views of the Administration.
Q: One other thing, I'm a little confused. How can he be saying--well, the plan isn't due, is it, until Monday? And here he's saying they haven't finished the plan.
MR. RUBIN: The text, as some of you know who studied it carefully, makes very clear that upon the entry into force of the agreement his plan is supposed to have been provided. That is specified in Section II--actually, it is specified in the time line where it says very clearly that upon entry into force of the memorandum the work plan will have been provided--the Palestinian security work plan shared with the U.S.--Section II A 1 B, upon entry into force with the memorandum.
As you all know, that is not until Monday, if I get my days right. However, we, in the course of these discussions, did have discussions about this question and an understanding was reached that it would be provided before that. And we have every reason to believe it will be provided by the end of the week.
Q: Does this delay the start of final status talks? And could you give the location of the talks?
MR. RUBIN: I don't have a location for you; but I don't see why this should have any impact on the start of the permanent status talks. We're not behind schedule. Let me be very clear--today is Wednesday; yesterday was Tuesday. The plan does not have to be provided until Friday. Nothing has been delayed. So we should all be quite clear on that.
As we have seen in the negotiations, sometimes things are done at the last minute and sometimes they are even done the night before, and sometimes it is a result of work all night the night before. So let's be very clear that nothing has been delayed. The agreement was signed on Friday; it's going to enter into force on Monday; and it's going to enter into force because of the commitment and the determination and the tough choices and the courageous decisions of the leaders, and is going to be one in which we are going to work very hard to try to ensure that bumps in the road, such as this, are resolved. We're working on this and we believe, based on our assurances, that the necessary work plan will be provided in the coming days and that the agreement will receive the necessary approval in Israel in the coming days.
Q: David Bar-Illan was quoted as saying that they have information that they will not be getting the report on Friday or Monday. How do you read into that comment?
MR. RUBIN: Well, without responding to any personal issue there, let me just say that our information--based on contacts with the Palestinians--is that we believe and have assurances that it will be.
Q: And if it is provided, then the agreement should unfold as it has been signed?
MR. RUBIN: Right.
Q: The U.S. is probably the inventor of the step-by-step, phase, parallel, lock-in, making everything contingent on everything else. What is the U.S. understanding--does Israel have an obligation to proceed with a pull-back if the plan isn't submitted by Monday?
MR. RUBIN: The time line specifies how this will go forward. Upon entry into force of the agreement, there are several things that have to happen: a committee starts on the third phase; Palestinian work plan is shared with the U.S.; full bilateral security cooperation is begun, pursuant to Section II B 1; trilateral security cooperation committee; interim committees resume; ad hoc economic committees resume; accelerated permanent status negotiations start.
That is prior to Phase I of the parallel effort to transfer territory. It is not until week two upon entry into force that the FRD and security components go in parallel. So these steps that I described to you are things that need to happen upon entry into force. The transfer of land to either full or partial control is something that would not happen until later.
Q: Two weeks after entry into force?
MR. RUBIN: Entry into force--week two--there are various things that have to happen. Weeks two to six there are various things that have to happen, and weeks six to twelve there are various things that have to happen. Within those phases, there are things on the security side and on the territory side.
Q: Week two after the signing, though, not week two after entry into force? It becomes--
MR. RUBIN: Week two, I would think, would be after entry into force; but let me try to get you the answer to that.
Q: But that's a lot of stuff. What if one of the pieces in that--
MR. RUBIN: Well, in this area, it is very easy to find problems. We're in the solution-finding business, and what we will do is try to find solutions when problems arise.
Q: Entry into force means ratification or the signing?
MR. RUBIN: The signing--it enters into force, if I'm correct here--I'll read you from the agreement. I believe it is ten days after signing, which would be November 2, if I've counted my days correctly--anyway, it's ten days. Yes, ten days, Monday. Have we clarified the Middle East peace process? We can keep going.
[end document]
