Israel will submit its report to the commission investigating the cause of the recent violence on Sunday. Israel alleges that the Palestinian Authority has planned, instigated and orchestrated the violent clashes to score political points, according to Haaretz.
The 150-page report to be submitted to the Mitchell Commission reviews events since the Camp David summit in July, in which Palestinian President Yasser Arafat rejected American bridging proposals, according to the paper.
The report, approved by Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami, is legal in tone and barely makes mention of Arafat by name, referring instead to the "Palestinian Authority" or "Palestinian leadership."
The baseline for the report is the joint statement issued by Barak, Arafat and US President Bill Clinton at the end of the summit, undertaking to refrain from any unilateral moves and threats of violence.
The report was compiled by a team of senior jurists and officials, led by the Defense Ministry's deputy director general, attorney Moshe Kochanovsky, Haaretz added.
There is extensive detail of the lynching of the two reserve soldiers in Ramallah and a record of Palestinian incitement throughout the crisis. Mention is also made of the failed attempts to obtain a cease-fire in Paris and Sharm al Sheikh and at the Arafat-Peres meeting.
Foreign Ministry Director General Alon Liel has decided to keep the report confidential, so as to avoid interfering with efforts to reach a permanent settlement with the Palestinians. "These are critical days ... these are the wrong circumstances in which to throw mud at one another," he was quoted as saying.
The Palestinians, as well as Arab and international parties, blame the violence, in which more than 320 Palestinians were killed, on a provocative visit by Likud leader Ariel Sharon to Al Aqsa Mosque compound on September 28.
The international community has also slammed Israel for “excessive use of force” to curb the popular uprising still raging in the West Bank and Gaza – (Albawaba.com)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
