Leading Article: Historic change, but not quite yet

Monday 13 December 1993 19:02 EST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

YESTERDAY had been billed as a day of history for the Palestinian people. It was to have witnessed the start of an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the Jericho area, and the modest dawn of a transitional era of Palestinian autonomy in those same zones. So the Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and the PLO leader Yasser Arafat had agreed in their historic deal sealed with a handshake on the White House lawn in Washington on 13 September. But it was not to be. Negotiations in Cairo between the two sides failed to resolve some serious remaining differences. The moment of history was postponed for 10 days at least.

It is easy to understand the Palestinians' frustration, disappointment and anger. The initial agreement fell far short of their hopes, applying as it did to a fraction of what they had long hoped would become an independent Palestinian state. In their eyes, the September agreement was unequal and distressingly limited. Yet now they see the Israelis continuing to impose their view of how it should be interpreted. Naturally enough, the Palestinians fear they may have been duped, and that the Israelis may go back on their word.

Those fears are almost certainly groundless. Mr Rabin is a deeply serious and essentially principled (if sometimes ruthless) man. Once he has brought himself and his government to the very difficult point of concluding a deal with an organisation long associated in Israeli eyes with terrorism, he will fulfil it. Outstanding problems will be overcome, though not at the expense of Israel's security.

Admittedly it is surprising that the negotiators left so late the final delineation of the area around Jericho to be included in the initial phase of the agreement, one of the current sticking points. Disagreement over the level of Israeli protection for Jewish settlements in the affected areas was more predictable, as was the dispute over control of border crossings between Israel and Egypt, and Jordan and Jericho.

The border control issue goes to the heart both of Israel's anxieties and of Yasser Arafat's hopes. The PLO leader is naturally anxious to create as many symbols as possible of Palestinian sovereignty. Border controls are an obvious candidate - even if they were never part of the agreement. But the Israelis have no intention of giving up their control and their de facto sovereignty. They will never agree to anything that makes it easier for terrorists to infiltrate either Israel proper or the West Bank and Gaza.

As Mr Arafat will doubtless complain on his visit to London today, the delay will weaken his position vis-a-vis extremists who reject the whole deal. That is unfortunate. Yet providing the Israelis move fast to fulfil their side of the bargain once agreement is reached, this week's alarm and despond should soon give way to a real sense of historic change.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in