WASHINGTON, 27 June — The “Mitchell Report,” issued last May, calls for an immediate cease-fire between Israelis and Palestinians, a six-week cooling-off period, and a variety of confidence-building measures, including a freeze on Israeli settlements and a tougher actions by the Palestinians Authority against terrorism.
Upon its release, both parties told Senator George Mitchell that the plan arrived “just in time.”
Speaking at the National Press Club yesterday, former Senator Mitchell, a Democrat from Maine, and former Republican Sen. Warren Rudman of New Hampshire, who co-hosted the Mitchell Commission, spoke out against what they saw as injustices, and necessary appeasements, between Palestinians and Israelis.
The government of Israel should freeze all settlement activity, lift closures, transfer all tax revenues owed to the Palestinian Authority, permit Palestinians to return to their jobs in Israel, and ensure that security forces and settlers refrain from the destruction of Palestinian homes, roads and agricultural property, Mitchell said, clearly not mincing his words.
He said the Palestinian Authority and the government of Israel should also consider a “joint undertaking to preserve and protect holy places sacred to the traditions of Jews, Muslims, and Christians.”
Mitchell is encouraged the Bush Administration is becoming actively involved in the Middle East, as is evidenced by the presence of Secretary of State Colin Powell, who leaves for the region today; the current cease-fire put together by George Tenet, director of the CIA; and Ambassador Will Burns, who has been appointed as deputy secretary of state for the Mideast and US troubleshooter for the region.
Today Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will meet with President Bush in the White House, for the second time in two months, while the US administration has ostentatiously avoided extending an invitation to Palestinian president Yasser Arafat. Asked if he thought the US should invite Arafat to Washington, Mitchell said: “Yes, I do.”
“And I think that is the intention of the administration at the appropriate time,” he added. “The administration is very actively involved. I think they are in the best position to make the judgment of when the invitation should be made. But I believe that it should be made...”
Asked if the US should continue to be the sole “mediator” between the Palestinians and the Israelis, Mitchell admitted that “Chairman Arafat was quite frank with us saying that he wanted greater international involvement.”
Mitchell admitted that the US has played a “key, decisive role” in the peace process, and added, “We believe it is appropriate, with the full knowledge, support and encouragement of our European allies, who have been extremely helpful in the process so far.”
Mitchell acknowledged that the US had been viewed as partisan when it had sided with the Israelis, over the Palestinian request an international observer force.
“The government of Israel opposes the presence of such a force, therefore we did not make such a recommendation, for which I believe the Palestinians were quite disappointed and the Israelis quite happy, because we in effect adopted the position that the government of Israel had taken.... We concluded that the experience in the region indicated that international forces could be effective only if they had the full support of both parties.”
Regarding illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory, Mitchell made it clear he was against them.
“The United States and Israel are close friends and allies. But even in the closest of relationships there are differences on some issues,” he said, to soften, no doubt, his criticism.
“Settlement activity is one of them. Every American president for more than a quarter century has opposed the policies and actions of the government of Israel with respect to settlements.”
On the recent action by 35 US Congressmen to introduce a bill that calls for the closure of the Palestinian offices in Washington, and blocking US aid funds to the Palestinians, Senator Rudman stepped forward to say they were both against it: “George and I met with a number of Congressmen last week — and one of the things we counseled them was that they should be careful about passing resolutions, either in the House or the Senate, because they could do something counterproductive.
