Letters exchanges between PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin following the signing of the Gaza-Jericho Agreement May 4, 1994
Export agreement coding (PDF)Country/entity
Israel
PalestineRegion
Middle East and North Africa
Middle East and North AfricaAgreement name
Letters exchanges between PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin following the signing of the Gaza-Jericho Agreement May 4, 1994Date
4 May 1994Agreement status
Unilateral documentInterim arrangement
YesAgreement/conflict level
Intrastate/intrastate conflict ( )Stage
Framework/substantive - partialConflict nature
Government/territoryPeace process
Israel-Palestine peace processParties
Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the PLO; Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel.Third parties
-Description
This involves the agreed exchange of two identical letters (coded once), between the head of the PLO and the Israeli government, which accompany and provide additional commitments to the Gaza-Jericho Agreement.
Agreement document
Groups
- Children/youth
No specific mention.
- Disabled persons
No specific mention.
- Elderly/age
No specific mention.
- Migrant workers
No specific mention.
- Racial/ethnic/national group
No specific mention.
- Religious groups
No specific mention.
- Indigenous people
No specific mention.
- Other groups
No specific mention.
- Refugees/displaced persons
No specific mention.
- Social class
No specific mention.
Gender
- Women, girls and gender
No specific mention.
- Men and boys
No specific mention.
- LGBTI
No specific mention.
- Family
No specific mention.
State definition
- Nature of state (general)Page 1, Letter from PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin:
... 5. Neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations.
Page Page 2, Letter from Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat:
... 5. Neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations.
Page Page 3, Letter from Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat:
... 9. The two sides reiterate their commitment to commence permanent status negotiations as soon as possible, but no later than the beginning of the third year of the interim period, as provided for in Article V of the Declaration of Principles. - State configuration
No specific mention.
- Self determination
No specific mention.
- Referendum
No specific mention.
- State symbols
No specific mention.
- Independence/secession
No specific mention.
- Accession/unification
No specific mention.
- Border delimitation
No specific mention.
- Cross-border provision
No specific mention.
Governance
- Political institutions (new or reformed)Governance→Political institutions (new or reformed)→General referencesPage 1, Letter from PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin:
... 1. The PLO undertakes to ensure that the Palestinian Authority, including the Palestinian Police and other Palestinian Authority agencies, will function in accordance with the Agreement, and that the Palestinian Authority will activate the coordination and cooperation mechanism in a timely manner.
Page 1, Letter from PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin:
... 4. When Chairman Arafat enters the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area, he will use the title 'Chairman (Ra'ees in Arabic) of the Palestinian Authority' or 'Chairman of the PLO', and will not use the title 'President of Palestine.'
Page 1, Letter from PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin:
... 6. Pursuant to Article IV, paragraph 3, of the Agreement, the PLO shall inform the Government of Israel of the names of the members of the Palestinian Authority in a letter that shall be provided within a week of signing the Agreement. The appointment of these members to the Palestinian Authority shall take effect upon an exchange of letters between the PLO and the Government of Israel. Changes in the membership of the Palestinian Authority will take effect upon an exchange of letters between the PLO and the Government of Israel.
Page Page 2, Letter from Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat:
... 1. The PLO undertakes to ensure that the Palestinian Authority, including the Palestinian Police and other Palestinian Authority agencies, will function in accordance with the Agreement, and that the Palestinian Authority will activate the coordination and cooperation mechanism in a timely manner.
Page Page 2, Letter from Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat:
... 4. When Chairman Arafat enters the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area, he will use the title 'Chairman (Ra'ees in Arabic) of the Palestinian Authority' or 'Chairman of the PLO', and will not use the title 'President of Palestine.'
Page Page 2, Letter from Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat:
... 6. Pursuant to Article IV, paragraph 3, of the Agreement, the PLO shall inform the Government of Israel of the names of the members of the Palestinian Authority in a letter that shall be provided within a week of signing the Agreement. The appointment of these members to the Palestinian Authority shall take effect upon an exchange of letters between the PLO and the Government of Israel. Changes in the membership of the Palestinian Authority will take effect upon an exchange of letters between the PLO and the Government of Israel. - Elections
No specific mention.
- Electoral commission
No specific mention.
- Political parties reform
No specific mention.
- Civil society
No specific mention.
- Traditional/religious leaders
No specific mention.
- Public administration
No specific mention.
- ConstitutionGovernance→Constitution→Constitutional reform/makingPage Page 2, Letter from Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat:
... 3. The PLO undertakes to submit to the next meeting of the Palestinian National Council for formal approval the necessary changes in regard to the Palestinian Covenant, as undertaken in the letter dated September 9, 1993 signed by the Chairman of the PLO and addressed to the Prime Minister of Israel.
Power sharing
- Political power sharing
No specific mention.
- Territorial power sharingPower sharing→Territorial power sharing→Federal or similar sub-divided government[Summary] Letters touch on the continuation of talks regarding the 'Jericho and Gaza areas' / Palestine.
- Economic power sharing
No specific mention.
- Military power sharing
No specific mention.
Human rights and equality
- Human rights/RoL general
No specific mention.
- Bill of rights/similar
No specific mention.
- Treaty incorporation
No specific mention.
- Civil and political rights
No specific mention.
- Socio-economic rights
No specific mention.
Rights related issues
- Citizenship
No specific mention.
- Democracy
No specific mention.
- Detention procedures
No specific mention.
- Media and communication
No specific mention.
- Mobility/accessPage 1, Letter from PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin:
...13. The two Parties shall continue discussions on the following issues:
... c. additional arrangement in the Rafah passage; and
Page 3, Letter from Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat:
... 13. The two Parties shall continue discussions on the following issues:
... c. additional arrangement in the Rafah passage; and - Protection measures
No specific mention.
- Other
No specific mention.
Rights institutions
- NHRI
No specific mention.
- Regional or international human rights institutions
No specific mention.
Justice sector reform
- Criminal justice and emergency law
No specific mention.
- State of emergency provisions
No specific mention.
- Judiciary and courts
No specific mention.
- Prisons and detention
No specific mention.
- Traditional Laws
No specific mention.
Socio-economic reconstruction
- Development or socio-economic reconstruction
No specific mention.
- National economic plan
No specific mention.
- Natural resources
No specific mention.
- International funds
No specific mention.
- Business
No specific mention.
- Taxation
No specific mention.
- Banks
No specific mention.
Land, property and environment
- Land reform/rightsLand, property and environment→Land reform/rights→Land reform and managementPage 1, Letter from PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin:
...13. The two Parties shall continue discussions on the following issues:
a. the size of the Jericho Area;
Page 3, Letter from Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat:
... 13. The two Parties shall continue discussions on the following issues:
a. the size of the Jericho Area; - Pastoralist/nomadism rights
No specific mention.
- Cultural heritage
No specific mention.
- Environment
No specific mention.
- Water or riparian rights or access
No specific mention.
Security sector
- Security Guarantees
No specific mention.
- Ceasefire
No specific mention.
- PolicePage 1, Letter from PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin:
... 1. The PLO undertakes to ensure that the Palestinian Authority, including the Palestinian Police and other Palestinian Authority agencies, will function in accordance with the Agreement, and that the Palestinian Authority will activate the coordination and cooperation mechanism in a timely manner.
Page Page 2, Letter from Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat:
... 1. The PLO undertakes to ensure that the Palestinian Authority, including the Palestinian Police and other Palestinian Authority agencies, will function in accordance with the Agreement, and that the Palestinian Authority will activate the coordination and cooperation mechanism in a timely manner. - Armed forces
No specific mention.
- DDR
No specific mention.
- Intelligence services
No specific mention.
- Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces
No specific mention.
- Withdrawal of foreign forces
No specific mention.
- Corruption
No specific mention.
- Crime/organised crime
No specific mention.
- Drugs
No specific mention.
- Terrorism
No specific mention.
Transitional justice
- Transitional justice general
No specific mention.
- Amnesty/pardon
No specific mention.
- Courts
No specific mention.
- Mechanism
No specific mention.
- Prisoner release
No specific mention.
- Vetting
No specific mention.
- Victims
No specific mention.
- Missing personsPage 1, Letter from PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin:
... 2. The PLO undertakes to cooperate with Israel, and to assist it, in its efforts to locate and to return to Israel Israeli soldiers who are missing in action and the bodies of killed soldiers which have not been recovered.
Page Page 2, Letter from Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat:
... 2. The PLO undertakes to cooperate with Israel, and to assist it, in its efforts to locate and to return to Israel Israeli soldiers who are missing in action and the bodies of killed soldiers which have not been recovered. - Reparations
No specific mention.
- Reconciliation
No specific mention.
Implementation
- UN signatory
No specific mention.
- Other international signatory
No specific mention.
- Referendum for agreement
No specific mention.
- International mission/force/similar
No specific mention.
- Enforcement mechanism
No specific mention.
- Related cases
No specific mention.
- SourceThe Jewish Virtual Library (A Division of the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise), https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/gjletter.html
GAZA-JERICHO AGREEMENT - LETTERS
Letter from PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin:
May 4, 1994
Yitzhak Rabin
Prime Minister of Israel
Mr. Prime Minister,
With regard to the Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area, signed in Cairo on May 4, 1994 (hereinafter 'the Agreement'), the PLO hereby confirms the following:
The PLO undertakes to ensure that the Palestinian Authority, including the Palestinian Police and other Palestinian Authority agencies, will function in accordance with the Agreement, and that the Palestinian Authority will activate the coordination and cooperation mechanism in a timely manner.
The PLO undertakes to cooperate with Israel, and to assist it, in its efforts to locate and to return to Israel Israeli soldiers who are missing in action and the bodies of killed soldiers which have not been recovered.
The PLO undertakes to submit to the next meeting of the Palestinian National Council for formal approval the necessary changes in regard to the Palestinian Covenant, as undertaken in the letter dated September 9, 1993 signed by the Chairman of the PLO and addressed to the Prime Minister of Israel.
When Chairman Arafat enters the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area, he will use the title 'Chairman (Ra'ees in Arabic) of the Palestinian Authority' or 'Chairman of the PLO', and will not use the title 'President of Palestine.'
Neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations.
Pursuant to Article IV, paragraph 3, of the Agreement, the PLO shall inform the Government of Israel of the names of the members of the Palestinian Authority in a letter that shall be provided within a week of signing the Agreement.
The appointment of these members to the Palestinian Authority shall take effect upon an exchange of letters between the PLO and the Government of Israel.
Changes in the membership of the Palestinian Authority will take effect upon an exchange of letters between the PLO and the Government of Israel.
Immediately after the conclusion of the Agreement, early empowerment negotiations will commence pursuant to Article VI of the Declaration of Principles, and the two sides will explore possible expansion of the scope of these negotiations beyond the five spheres.
The two sides will intensify the negotiations on the interim arrangements consistant with the Declaration of Principles and guided by its target date.
The two sides reiterate their commitment to commence permanent status negotiations as soon as possible, but no later than the beginning of the third year of the interim period, as provided for in Article V of the Declaration of Principles.
As regards the relations between Israel and the PLO, and without derogating from the commitments contained in the letters dated September 9, 1993 signed by and exchanged between the Prime Minister of Israel and the Chairman of the PLO, the two sides will apply between them the provisions contained in Article XII, paragraph 1, with the necessary changes.
The two Parties shall, within one month of signing the Agreement, invite the Governments of Jordan and Egypt to establish the Continuing Committee referred to in Article XII of the Declaration of Principles and in Article XVI of the Agreement.
The Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority shall pass all necessary legislation to implement the Agreement.
The two Parties shall continue discussions on the following issues:
the size of the Jericho Area;
the positioning of a Palestinian official at the bridge;
additional arrangement in the Rafah passage;
and
all outstanding issues specified in the Agreement.
Sincerely,
Yasser Arafat
Chairman
The Palestinian Liberation Organization
Letter from Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat:
May 4, 1994
Yasser Arafat
Chairman
The Palestine Liberation Organization
Mr. Chairman,
The Government of the State of Israel has the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of today's date which reads as follows:
"With regard to the Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area, signed in Cairo on May 4, 1994 (hereinafter 'the Agreement'), the PLO hereby confirms the following:
The PLO undertakes to ensure that the Palestinian Authority, including the Palestinian Police and other Palestinian Authority agencies, will function in accordacne with the Agreement, and that the Palestinian Authority will activate the coordination and cooperation mechanism in a timely manner.
The PLO undertakes to cooperate with Israel, and to assist it, in its efforts to locate and to return to Israel Israeli soldiers who are missing in action and the bodies of killed soldiers which have not been recovered.
The PLO undertakes to submit to the next meeting of the Palestinian National Council for formal approval the necessary changes in regard to the Palestinian Covenant, as undertaken in the letter dated September 9, 1993 signed by the Chairman of the PLO and addressed to the Prime Minister of Israel.
When Chairman Arafat enters the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area, he will use the title 'Chairman (Ra'ees in Arabic) of the Palestinian Authority' or 'Chairman of the PLO', and will not use the title 'President of Palestine.'
Neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations.
Pursuant to Article IV, paragraph 3, of the Agreement, the PLO shall inform the Government of Israel of the names of the members of the Palestinian Authority in a letter that shall be provided within a week of signing the Agreement.
The appointment of these members to the Palestinian Authority shall take effect upon an exchange of letters between the PLO and the Government of Israel.
Changes in the membership of the Palestinian Authority will take effect upon an exchange of letters between the PLO and the Government of Israel.
Immediately after the conclusion of the Agreement, early empowerment negotiations will commence pursuant to Article VI of the Declaration of Principles, and the two sides will explore possible expansion of the scope of these negotiations beyond the five spheres.
The two sides will intensify the negotiations on the interim arrangements consistant with the Declaration of Principles and guided by its target date.
The two sides reiterate their commitment to commence permanent status negotiations as soon as possible, but no later than the beginning of the third year of the interim period, as provided for in Article V of the Declaration of Principles.
As regards the relations between Israel and the PLO, and without derogating from the commitments contained in the letters dated September 9, 1993 signed by and exchanged between the Prime Minister of Israel and the Chairman of the PLO, the two sides will apply between them the provisions contained in Article XII, paragraph 1, with the necessary changes.
The two Parties shall, within one month of signing the Agreement, invite the Governments of Jordan and Egypt to establish the Continuing Committee referred to in Article XII of the Declaration of Principles and in Article XVI of the Agreement.
The Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority shall pass all necessary legislation to implement the Agreement.
The two Parties shall continue discussions on the following issues:
the size of the Jericho Area;
the positioning of a Palestinian official at the bridge;
additional arrangement in the Rafah passage;
and
all outstanding issues specified in the Agreement."
The Government of the State of Israel acknowledges and confirms the undertakings and commitments contained in this letter.
Sincerely,
Yitzhak Rabin
Prime Minister of Israel