Return to the Negotiating Table and Stick to Terms of Agreement : Peace talks: Palestinians must not use Hebron to violate the Declaration of Principles.

We are witnessing a Palestinian attempt to take advantage of the tragedy in Hebron in order to breach the basic agreement set forth in the Declaration of Principles.

Palestinians are trying to move negotiation of the future of the settlements tothe intermediate stage, in complete contradiction to the agreements that they accepted and signed. It is explicitly stated in the Declaration of Principles that the issue of the settlements will be discussed and decided in the final stages of the proceedings. At that stage, the various aspects of life in the West Bank and Gaza will be weighed and shaped. The final stage is set to be completed in five years and the discussions are to begin in three years.

In an interview on CNN last Friday, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Itamar Rabinovich, pointed out to his colleague from the Palestine Liberation Organization, Saeb Arikat, that raising such a demand would be a serious mistake. The signed agreement and its basic principles must be honored in their entirety. Yasser Arafat knows this well. He knows that the basic recognition of the PLO by Israel that preceded the signing of the Declaration of Principles in Washington rested upon Arafat’s personal ability as the Palestinian leader to prove his credibility. The security of the residents of Israel is dependent upon this. It is vital for the success of the peace process. The recent history of Arafat’s actions and behavior have not supported his credibility.

Arafat must not waste the credit that the government of Israel has given him. Moreover, Arafat’s strength and ability to gain the faith of the Israeli public that he intends to be a good neighbor is his one and only chance to reach the bargaining table three years from now, with the goodwill of the government of Israel and wide public support for working out the future of the West Bank and Gaza.

Let us return to the negotiating table without delay on the basis of the statement of principles that was signed on Sept. 13. We all know that we have nowhere else to go.