The Israeli State Archives published Sunday for the first time the official Israeli response to President Clinton's outline for a Two-State solution presented in December 2000. The document revealed that Israel agreed to give up part of its sovereignty in the Old City and the Temple Mount area, and demanded to receive eight percent of the West Bank without exchanging territories. The talks fell apart as the Palestinian side grew impatient, leading to incitement and the Second Intifada which was ordered by Yasser Arafat.
The official Israeli response document is part of the archive file of the late Noah Kinnereti, who was an advisor to the Minister of Defense for settlement matters and was a member of Israel's negotiating team for the talks. The Israeli document is actually a response to President Clinton's ideas.
If Israel offered the Palestinians a state in the West Bank and Gaza, ~ 94% what they're asking for, like Barak offered Arafat in 2000 or Ehud Olmert offered Abbas in 2008, in exchange for recognition and peace,
— Chester A. Arthur (@ZacAKAMadu) June 15, 2023
There still isn't a Palestinian leader who would say "Yes". pic.twitter.com/GFsdoj9ZrR
The document shows that Israel agreed to give up its sovereignty in part of the Old City and the mosque compound on the Temple Mount. Clinton proposed that the Arab parts of Jerusalem be part of the Palestinian state, and the Jewish parts be a sovereign part of the State of Israel. According to the document, Israel objected to Clinton's proposal that the Armenian quarter be part of the Palestinian state. In the document it was written that "Armenians are not Arabs," and it was proposed to establish the principle that "everything to the left of the Jaffa gate will be Palestinian, and everything to the right [the Jewish quarter and the Armenian quarter] will be Israeli."
Regarding the Temple Mount and the Holy places, Israel agreed to relinquish its sovereignty over the Temple Mount in the area of the mosques and demanded sovereignty over the Western Wall, the Western Wall tunnels, the Siloam pool, the City of David, and the Mount of Olives. In the response document, Israel expressed reservations that Clinton did not accept the principle that these parts would be under Israeli sovereignty, and also stated that "Palestinian recognition of the Jewish narrative regarding the Temple Mount was not accepted."
The comments also state that this is a "de facto division of sovereignty on the Temple Mount." As for the territory, Israel demanded to receive eight percent of the West Bank territories including a lease without an exchange of territory. Israel further agreed that the exchange of territories in the Gaza area could not exceed two percent.
If Israel offered the Palestinians a state in the West Bank and Gaza, ~ 94% what they're asking for, like Barak offered Arafat in 2000 or Ehud Olmert offered Abbas in 2008, in exchange for recognition and peace,
— Chester A. Arthur (@ZacAKAMadu) June 15, 2023
There still isn't a Palestinian leader who would say "Yes". pic.twitter.com/GFsdoj9ZrR
The Israeli document disclosed in the state archives also includes a letter sent in January 2001 by the Prime Minister's chief of staff, Gilead Sher, to Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger. In the letter, Sher wrote that the government considers Clinton's ideas a basis for negotiations as long as they are accepted by the Palestinians. Sher wrote In addition, Israel's goal is to keep 80% of the settlers under Israeli sovereignty, which means that Israel keeps eight percent of the territories, within Gaza and the West Bank.
