Also called the
"Shamir-Rabin peace initiative," this initiative was a proposal
brought before the National Unity Government on May 14th 1989 by
Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir and Minister of Defense Yitzhak Rabin.
The initiative was presented by Shamir to US President George Bush
during his visit to Washington in April 1989. It included four main issues:
Strengthening of the peace between Israel and Egypt on the basis of the Camp
David Accords; establishing peace between Israel and other Arab countries;
finding a solution to the problem of Arab refugees; and holding elections in
the West Bank and Gaza Strip for a Palestinian leadership which will be able to
negotiate an interim agreement for self-government and on a subsequent
permanent solution.
A fifth issue, concerning weapon control in the Middle East, was removed
from the plan at Rabin’s request. The proposal for elections of a Palestinian
leadership was first mentioned in a mutual press conference held by Rabin and
Shimon Peres on October 18th 1988, prior to the elections for the
Twelfth Knesset, and was first presented as an operative plan by Rabin on
January 1989.
The plan was based on several assumptions: Direct negotiations between
Israel and Arab representatives; a veto on the option of establishing two
Palestinian entities - in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip; Israel will not
negotiate with the PLO; and, as per the Government’s decision, there will be no
change in the status of sovereignty over Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip
(hence, no withdrawal from these territories).
In September 1989, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak proposed that
Israeli and Palestinian delegates meet in Cairo to begin preparation for
elections. He also publicized his
Ten
Points Plan for implementation of the Israeli initiative, based on a
similar document composed within the Labor Party and given to him by an advisor
to Shimon Peres. The Likud rejected Mubarak’s plan, for it included the
participation in the elections of Palestinians from East Jerusalem and promoted
the exchange of land for peace. Following a visit to Cairo, Rabin proclaimed
that the Ten Points Plan was considerate of Israeli requirements, as it did not
mention the PLO, nor the right of the Palestinians for self-definition or the
establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
In response to Mubarak’s plan, American Secretary of State James Baker
published his own
Five
Points Plan on December 6
th 1989. Baker discussed the technical
aspects for enabling an Israeli-Palestinian dialogue in Cairo. One of his steps
had become a pitfall: The understanding that Israel will take part in the
dialogue only after approving the list of candidates proposed by the Palestinians.
With this issue unresolved, Baker referred the following question to Israel in
early March: “Will the Israeli Government be willing to negotiate with the
Palestinians, citizens of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, on an individually
named basis?” To this, Minister of Foreign Affairs Moshe Arens complied, but
Shamir objected. On these grounds, the Labor Party decided to dissolve the
government through a motion of no-confidence.