AJCommittee Welcomes Announcement Of Hebron Deal

American Jewish Committee
Wednesday, 15 January 1997

The American Jewish Committee welcomes the announcement of an agreement reached between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Israeli troop redeployments from most of Hebron and on further implementation of agreements under the Oslo Accords, including additional Israeli withdrawals from rural areas in the West Bank.

We commend the skillful and exhaustive efforts of American mediator Dennis Ross over these last, grueling months in maintaining open lines of communication with the negotiating parties and for his guidance in helping them work through the impasse that had kept them from reaching an agreement. We also heartily applaud the timely intervention of King Hussein of Jordan, who helped Prime Minister Netanyahu and Chairman Arafat bridge the remaining gaps.

This agreement, however difficult its attainment, is a positive and much-needed step toward achieving the mutual trust and reconciliation on which a real peace can be based. Equally critical to this process is the recommitment of the Arab world to further normalization of ties with Israel.

We are hopeful that this new development will encourage the friends of peace to persevere and will persuade those who have tried to derail the peace process that their efforts will not succeed and that terrorism will not prevail.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org