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Jordan and the Palestinian Cause Final Status Negotiation Issues
The overlapping of Jordanian and Palestinian interests in the interim period and final status negotiations requires us to coordinate with our brethren and to use our utmost potential to support their rights, while having full respect for the independence of their negotiating track, and for their absolute right to negotiate their own rights. Letter to Prime Minister Abdel Salaam
al-Majali
As for boundaries with the Palestinian lands, we have reiterated our absolute respect for them through our insistence that the (Jordanian-Israeli) Treaty include Paragraph Two of Article Three, which states the following:
With that text we have postponed demarcating the borders with Palestinian lands until the end of negotiations pertaining to permanent status. Although the postponement of border demarcation until final status has obstructed the opportunities for movement of people and goods between Jordan and the Palestinian land, and delayed the economic and trade opening with Jordan, we still shouldered our responsibilities towards our brethren in this regard with the open-mindedness that has always characterized our positions since the days when we kept the bridges open throughout the period of occupation since 1967. Letter to Prime Minister Abdel Salaam
al-Majali
Recently, we have noticed that some Israeli circles go far in presuming to speak in the name of Jordan by claiming that our security will be compromised in the event of the rise of a Palestinian state. This is used as a pretext to prevent an Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian land on the Jordan River, by claiming that our security and theirs require such an unfair decision that deprives our brethren of their rights. These claims are baseless and they are categorically and unequivocally rejected. We felt that this needed to be clarified, not at the national level, for Jordanians are fully aware of our positions, but at the international level in order for the truth to be highlighted, lest it be distorted in any way, shape or form. Jordan does not fear anyone in this neighborhood. For the Palestinians are our brethren, and Israel and Jordan are bound by a peace treaty. In any event, Jordan is quite capable of defending itself and bears the responsibility for that. Letter to Prime Minister Abdel Salaam
al-Majali
As for refugees, we must remember that Jordan is the largest host country of Palestinian refugees, most of whom hold the Jordanian citizenship, as honorable citizens, who share our rights and duties until their problem is solved with return and/or compensation. At that juncture, they will make their own free choice when we, along with the Arab negotiating parties, succeed in securing them these rights. On September 14, 1993, we signed the Jordanian-Israeli Common Agenda, which included an article on bilateral negotiations on refugees residing in Jordan, and an article on multilateral negotiations on the rights of refugees and displaced persons until their problem is solved. However, the Oslo accords and the Cairo agreement in early May 1994 led to the postponement of the refugees issue until final status. For this reason, the article dealing with refugees in the Jordanian-Israeli Peace Treaty, signed on October 26, 1994, stipulates that both signatories work to resolve the issue of refugees in accordance with international law, and relevant international resolutions in an agreed upon bilateral framework, in conjunction with, and at the same time as, the special negotiations on the permanent status pertaining to the territories referred to in the second paragraph of Article Three, that is, the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967. Based on that, we will resume multilateral negotiations on refugees in coordination with our Palestinian brethren over the rights of refugees. As concerns displaced persons, we continued to exert every effort to resolve the issue. Displaced persons are Jordanian brothers and sisters who were forcibly displaced by occupation. Still, their right to return to their homes and properties, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 237 and international law, has been attached to Article Twelve of the Oslo Accords. Out of respect for our brethren, we have acknowledged the wording they agreed to and have included the substance of it in Paragraph 2.A of Article Eight of the Jordanian-Israeli Peace Treaty. This stipulates that the problems of displaced persons should be resolved through a quadripartite Jordanian-Palestinian-Egyptian-Israeli committee. We will work to revive the committee and support our Palestinian brethren and preserve the full right of displaced persons to choose to remain in Jordan or return to their domiciles. Letter to Prime Minister Abdel Salaam
al-Majali
As for the building of settlements, our position is quite clear. It is in violation of international law and contravenes the Palestinian-Israeli agreement, which precludes each party from taking unilateral actions that prejudice the outcome of issues to be dealt with in the final status negotiations. Settlement building entails many dangers, foremost among which is harming Palestinian rights to land, water, agriculture and industry, forcing them to migrate. Therefore, we adhere to the sixth principle of Article Two of the Peace Treaty, which stipulates that “involuntary movements of persons in such a way as to adversely prejudice the security of either party should not be permitted.” Letter to Prime Minister Abdel Salaam
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