BICOM

According to an Israeli document from the recent preliminary Israeli-Palestinian talks in Amman, Israel’s sole condition before final-status talks start is Palestinian recognition of Israel as the Jewish people’s state. The document, obtained by Haaretz, contained Israel’s list of 21 topics that would form the core of negotiations on final-status agreement. Palestinian sources quoted by the paper said the document was the only one that Palestinian negotiators received during the course of the talks.

The leaked document, according to Haaretz, did not mention that the basis for negotiations should be the 1967 borders and consensual land swaps, a position endorsed by US President Barack Obama and the Quartet. The document Israel presented to the Palestinians did, however, include such topics as security, the end of conflict, territory and borders, the Gaza Strip, Jerusalem, settlements, refugees, water, civilian matters and infrastructure, religious sites, timetables for implementation and the Palestinian state and its relations with Israel.

The document, copies of which were presented to foreign diplomats, also supports the Palestinians’ claim that Israel insisted to present detailed positions and maps only as part of an official negotiations process.

Dr. Mahmoud Shtayeh, a senior member of the Palestinian delegation to the talks in Jordan and one of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s close advisers, denied the Israeli version of events published earlier this week. According to these reports, Israel’s chief negotiator Isaac Molho’s offer was similar to the one made by former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni at the Annapolis talks.