ISRAEL-PLO RECOGNITION

LETTER FROM YASSER ARAFAT TO PRIME MINISTER RABIN:

September 9, 1993

Mr. Prime Minister,

The signing of the Declaration of Principles marks a new era in the history of the Middle East. In firm conviction thereof, I would like to confirm the following PLO commitments: The PLO recognizes the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security.

The PLO accepts United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338. The PLO commits itself to the Middle East peace process, and to a peaceful resolution of the conflict between the two sides and declares that all outstanding issues relating to permanent status will be resolved through negotiations.

The PLO considers that the signing of the Declaration of Principles constitutes a historic event, inaugurating a new epoch of peaceful coexistence, free from violence and all other acts which endanger peace and stability. Accordingly, the PLO renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence and will assume responsibility over all PLO elements and personnel in order to assure their compliance, prevent violations and discipline violators

In view of the promise of a new era and the signing of the Declaration of Principles and based on Palestinian acceptance of Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, the PLO affirms that those articles of the Palestinian Covenant which deny Israel's right to exist, and the provisions of the Covenant which are inconsistent with the commitments of this letter are now inoperative and no longer valid. Consequently, the PLO undertakes to submit to the Palestinian National Council for formal approval the necessary changes in regard to the Palestinian Covenant.

Sincerely,

Yasser Arafat

Chairman The Palestine Liberation Organization

(Published by Arutz-7 News, September 8, 1997)

COMMENT FROM THE ICEJ'S MIDDLE EAST DIGEST,
SEPT. 8, 1997

ARAFAT'S LETTER: A REMINDER

Four years ago tomorrow, on September 9, 1993, PLO chairman Yasser Arafat wrote a letter to then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, renouncing terrorism, undertaking to rein in all PLO elements and to amend the PLO Covenant.

Critics have pointed out that this undertaking has been honoured in the breach so often and in so many ways, it is ludicrous that Arafat's apologists at the US State Department and elsewhere continue to plead that he is meeting his commitments.

Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said typically earlier this year: "I don't think that one ought to put the Palestinians in the dock and accuse them of not having met their commitments in the Middle East peace process over the last four years. They've met them." (NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, March 6)

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