Subject: Peace process; Australia’s role in the peace process; Maccabiah Games memorial; contribution to UNRWA; Sharm Elsheikh Agreement
E&OE ……………………………………………………………………………
YASSER ARAFAT:
I would like to welcome very much my dear friend and guest the Prime Minister of Australia and would like to say how pleased I am. It is a great honour and pleasure to receive him and his high level delegation here for the first time. I’d also like to thank him for all the support that Australia has given and continues to give the Palestinian people.
We’ve had very fruitful discussions. Of course primarily about the peace process amongst other things, and we discussed together how to push a peace process further not only the Palestinian Israeli peace process but also the Syrian and Lebanese Israeli peace processes to achieve full peace in the area. This peace is not only a peace that is required so much by the people of this part of the world, but it’s also a peace that is so much wanted for the Middle East, for Europe, for the whole world in fact.
We have really requested his Excellency the Prime Minister that we can work together to activate and to increase the economic role in Australia in our part of the world. I would also like to once again to thank His Excellency for all the contributions that Australia have made and continues to make and will make in the future for the benefit of the Palestinian people and peace in this area. And particularly a role in pushing forward the peace process.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I would like to thank the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mr Arafat, for the opportunity to come here today. The discussion I’ve had with him has been very wide ranging. It has been very encouraging. I want to say as I did in Jerusalem in my discussions with the Prime Minister of Israel how encouraged Australia is by the peace process which is now underway and how strongly we support it and how much we encourage those involved principally in the discussions to bring it to a successful conclusion.
Australia does not underestimate the difficulties that lie ahead but there is a sense that the momentum is greater now than it has ever been and there is a concerned interest on the part of many, including of course the United States, so important to the ultimate working out of the process. And I have certainly found in my discussions with both the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Barak, and also with Mr Arafat a very strong personal commitment on their part to a successful conclusion by September of the process which is underway. But it will require the continued goodwill of all of those involved and the sympathetic understanding of countries that have both a direct and also indirect stake in the outcome.
I had the opportunity earlier today of visiting one of the refugee camps and also particularly looking at two of the aid projects that received assistance from UNRWA as a result of Australian contributions and I’m pleased to announce the Australian Government will increase by $1 million a year the amount of assistance that goes to UNRWA. The projects that it supports are practical examples of helping local communities develop self-support systems. I think that’s very encouraging and we would like to do more and we have made a greater provision.
And finally the discussions included some detailed briefing on the progress that has been made in relation to educational and health standards amongst the Palestinians and the news I received on that front was very encouraging. I also had a detailed discussion with Mr Arafat and his ministers regarding some of the other infrastructure and other arrangements within the authorities’ areas of responsibility and I was interested in particular to learn that the Palestinian telecommunications company is fully in private hands.
YASSER ARAFAT:
And that’s not the only sector!
QUESTIONS
JOURNALIST:
The first question is to your Prime Minister and it has to do with the fact that the Palestinian Authority expects that before the end of this year it will declare an Independent Palestinian State. What will be the position of Australia? Will Australia recognise that State and what’s the position of Australia regarding Jerusalem?
The second question has to do with the stage of negotiations going on today between the Israelis and Palestinians and whether President Arafat thinks that this sudden expansion, increased expansion of governments will in any way interfere with the potential success of these talks?
PRIME MINISTER:
Can I answer the first question? Our desire of course is that the discussion and negotiation process which is working towards a particular deadline be brought to appropriate conclusion and I don’t think in those circumstances that it benefits anybody for us to hypothesise about what our reactions might be…(inaudible)... if that peace process is not successful. I think that everybody is aware of our understanding of the aspirations of the Palestinian people. We have supported the peace process, we support the right of self-determination and we’ve had a very longstanding commitment to an association with Israel. The important thing for friendly countries such as Australia to do in these circumstances is to act with good will on both sides and encourage the process in the end the thing that we all hope and pray for is a successful conclusion to the discussions, not making statements on behalf of my government about what we might or might not do given the failure of that. I think that is negative and I don’t intend to get into that.
I’ve come to the Middle East. I’ve come to Israel. I’ve come to the area within the control of the Palestinian Authority in goodwill and in optimism and I don’t intend to depart on a negative note.
The status of Jerusalem is something that will be resolved by the parties in the discussion.
YASSER ARAFAT:
About settlements I would like to note that the United Nations resolutions, the position of the United States and the position of Europe and other countries of the world considers settlement activities to be destructive of the peace process.
Unfortunately I would like to say that since the coming of this new government of Mr Barak, the Israeli government has already created 7,000 new building units to its settlements and is stating that it’s going to increase that, including settlements that are being created inside the Jerusalem area and around it. Also new settlements to encircle Bethlehem in all directions.
Our negotiating delegation in Eilat this morning has presented at the outset of the negotiations a protest note regarding this intended expansion of settlement activities to begin which is really very threatening at the beginning of its negotiation session today.
These settlement activities have a negative effect also on the negotiations about the framework of the permanent settlement which are also going on today.
JOURNALIST:
My question is directed to both leaders. I want to ask if it’s considered that Australia’s stance in the past has been too pro-Israeli and what today’s visit by Mr Howard signifies in that context?
YASSER ARAFAT:
We have considered a very long term relationship exists between the Palestinian people and Australian people and between the Palestinian Government and the Australian Government, even since the British mandate over Palestinian.
Yes I do consider that the present visit of His Excellency the Prime Minister of Australia has a very special meaning and to me it means further progress in our relationship and for that I can only thank him for his visit and thank him for all the help Australia has given and will continue to give as a result of this trip.
PRIME MINISTER:
Australia comes here to make a small, but I hope important contribution, to a new sense of hope and optimism about the future and a new belief that peace on a lasting basis can be achieved.
Naturally, Australia doesn’t in any way resile from previous support that it has given to the State of Israel or previously good and continuing close relations between the people of Australia and the people of Israel. We should try and not see this in terms of taking sides.
Let me relate a little story which I have previously related to some of my Australian friends. I was being interviewed on Melbourne radio and I announced that I would be visiting Mr Arafat when I came to Israel. And the interviewer said to me that you have not done that in the past, but why is this so, and there was something of a critical tone in his question and I said that it was entirely appropriate because we had the responsibility to make a contribution to the momentum for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
Within a few minutes of my completing my interview, two leading members of the Jewish community in Melbourne, rang the radio station to very strongly support the announcement that I had made and to make it very clear that in their view, and in the view of the Jewish community in Australia, that mankind wanted every effort to be bent towards a peace settlement in the Middle East and I’m sure they are right. I’m here in goodwill. The people who Mr Arafat leads and the people of Israel are keen and passionate about achieving peace. They want to put the past behind them and if Australia can make a small contribution, given its history in this part of the world and the special significance it has to millions of Australians then we ought to do so in a very positive frame of mind without debating particular stances in the past.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Prime Minister, Palestinian officials have ratified the establishment of a monument for Israeli athletes who were killed in Germany ahead of the Olympic games in Sydney. What is the official position of Australia?
JOURNALIST:
Mr Odet Iran who heads the Israeli negotiating delegation in Eilat stated this morning that the result of this peace negotiations will be the creation of an independent Palestinian State. The question to President Arafat, do you consider this statement by the head of the Israeli delegation ushering in a new understanding by the Government of Israel a new position on the support of an independent Palestinian State.
YASSER ARAFAT:
I’d like to make this clear that the Palestinian Independent State is the natural right of the Palestinian people. And that right of the Palestinian people is part and parcel of the agreements we made with the Israelis in Oslo. We had really wanted to declare the independent state last year before the 4th of May 1999. But I had received, during talks with many world leaders, advice that I should really try to delay that declaration until the end of the Israeli elections, so as not to look like interfering with Israeli elections.
As a result of the advice that I received from several world leaders I accepted this advice and I delayed a declaration of the Independent Palestinian State. In Sharm Elsheikh last September 1999 I signed with Prime Minister Barak an agreement what became known as the Sharm Elsheikh Agreement. That agreement was countersigned and endorsed by President Barak, by King Abdullah of Jordan and Mrs Albright and that agreement states that the 15th of September of the year 2000 is the final date for ending the interim period, for concluding all permanent status negotiations and therefore for allowing us really the opportunity to declare our independent Palestinian State.
And I would like to also state that together with the counter-signatures that we received by the important witnesses I referred to there was also two letters of guarantees to that effect. One American letter of guarantee and one European letter of guarantee that states the same thing.
PRIME MINISTER:
You asked about the Memorial. That decision was taken by SOCOG the organising committee for the games as such there is no official Federal Government position. I don’t walk away from giving an answer. I can understand why that decision was taken.
JOURNALIST:
President Arafat, Prime Minister Howard has been very warmly welcomed by the Israelis, in face he’s been honoured for his friendship and loyalty towards Jewish people and the Israeli state. Wouldn’t you like to see Prime Minister Howard use his influence in this region to try and expedite or push forward the peace process and if yes in practical terms how could that influence be exerted?
And the second question is to Prime Minister Howard. Is the time now right for a reciprocal visit to Australia by Chairman Arafat?
YASSER ARAFAT:
Yes I did request His Excellency Prime Minister Howard in our discussions to produce any help that can push the peace process ahead, I know that he can and I appreciate very much and welcome very warmly any measure that you would like to take to push the peace process forward. Not only that, but only that I encourage him to do so, but I thank him for whatever he’s already done, whatever he intends to do to push the peace forward.
PRIME MINISTER:
Alison, the answer to your question is yes. I have invited Mr Arafat to visit Australia at a mutually convenient time and I hope that he can take up that invitation.
Thank you.
[ends]