Netanyahu and Arafat Sign Wye River Agreement After Marathon Talks
Nine days of intensive U.S.-mediated negotiations produce accord on further West Bank withdrawals and security cooperation.
After nine grueling days of negotiations at Maryland’s Wye River Plantation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chairman Yasser Arafat signed a new agreement today outlining further Israeli withdrawals from 13% of the West Bank in exchange for enhanced Palestinian security measures.
The signing ceremony at the White House, presided over by President Clinton who personally invested 85 hours in the talks, marked a rare diplomatic achievement for the embattled Netanyahu government. King Hussein of Jordan, battling cancer, made a dramatic appearance to help seal the deal.
Under the memorandum, Israel will withdraw from an additional 13% of the West Bank in three phases, while Palestinians committed to specific steps against terrorism, including arresting 30 wanted suspects, confiscating illegal weapons, and formally annulling PLO Charter clauses calling for Israel’s destruction.
The agreement includes unprecedented CIA monitoring of Palestinian security compliance, a provision insisted upon by Netanyahu. Israel also agreed to release 750 Palestinian prisoners and open a Gaza airport and industrial zone.
“We have taken a vital step toward permanent peace,” Clinton declared, though both leaders appeared exhausted and wary. Neither smiled during the ceremony, reflecting the difficult compromises each had made.
The accord faces significant opposition in both camps. Israeli settlers denounce any territorial concessions, while Palestinian rejectionists see the limited withdrawals as perpetuating occupation. Implementation will test whether Netanyahu, who built his career opposing Oslo, can deliver on agreements his supporters fundamentally reject.