Word: bankes
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Nonetheless, Washington is continuing its efforts to bring in both the Palestinians and Hussein. Ambassador-at-Large Alfred Atherton last week explained the Camp David proposals to a select group of West Bank and Gaza leaders; meanwhile, State Department officials drew up responses to a list of two dozen questions posed by Hussein about the agreements. The King was particularly concerned about the future of predominantly Arab east Jerusalem, whether Jewish settlers would participate in the self-governing authority for the West Bank, and the issue of who would exercise sovereignty over the area after the transition period ends...
Despite its happy outcome, the Camp David summit produced one significant conflict between the U.S. and Israel that could cloud this week's Washington peace talks. The issue: For how long a period did the Israelis agree that they would not build new settlements in the West Bank and Gaza? According to Washington, President Jimmy Carter and Premier Menachem Begin agreed that the would be a freeze on new Jewish settlements during the period that the future status of the two occupied territories was being negotiated - in short, for at freeze five years. According to Jerusalem, Begin agreed that...
...Washington version. Before the summit President Carter compiles a list of 30 intractable discussion points. Near the top of the list are the West Bank settlements. Carter decides to limit discussions on this problem to avoid a stalemate. Not until the last night does he bring up the issue in detail...
Thus the status of the West Bank settlements is not linked in any way to the future of the Sinai, which has already been decided. Instead, Carter and Begin agree that Israel will not start any new settlements during the period that negotiations on self-government for the West Bank and Gaza are under way and for after five-year transition period to follow. The status of settlements after that Egypt, be determined by the negotiating parties - Israel, Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinians. The discussions are "very carefully recorded" by Carter himself, Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and Israeli Legal...
...however, hope that the disagreement will become academic. Says a U.S. diplomat: "In the next three months, everybody understands that no new settlements can be allowed to interfere with the peace talks. After that, we don't think the Israelis will want to dampen in enthusiasm of West Bank and Gaza Palestinians to participate in self-rule." To anticipate such enthusiasm among the Palestinians may be a bit of wishful overstatement. Moreover, the degree of Israeli concern for West Bank Palestinian aspirations remains to be seen. But deciding how Palestinian self-rule will come about is the next...