For the first time, the draft dated on November 14, 2002 (three days ago) points to the possibility of recognizing the Palestinian state in the UN even before even the launching of the final status negotiations, but it also points out in some of its parts to some disputes between the US on one side and the EU, the UN and Russia on their other side regarding some of the details, including the EU stressing on the need to delete the phrase that talks about the PLC elections without referring to the presidential elections, which means that the plan should stipulate holding general Palestinian elections.

The Quartet Committee is scheduled to hold meetings at the ministerial level in the middle of next month in Europe to launch this initiative officially while it is being noted that the plan does not talk about implementing the Arab Initiative which meets with the Israeli protest; however, the plan takes into special consideration the Saudi Initiative which was ratified by the Arab Summit in Beirut.

It is also noted that the plan does not talk about appointing a PM as an obligatory matter in the first phase and that the plan talks about an interim PM or a government with jurisdictions, but it says that this post must be established after the establishment of the Palestinian state with temporary borders. As for the Palestinian constitution, the draft does not talk anymore about a committee from the PLC to draft the constitution, but it talks about a constitutional committee to draft the constitution.

The Quartet Committee must end in its next meeting the dispute which appears clearly in this draft about halting the settlements; the US sets a condition on halting the settlement activities after the total halt of fire while the EU, Russia and the UN do not accept this condition and call for a total halt of settlements (including the natural growth of settlements) along with giving priority to the projects that threaten the continuity of the Palestinian residential regions, including the region around Jerusalem.

The following is the full text of the new draft which came in eight pages as obtained by al-Ayyam newspaper:

The text below constitutes the elements of performance and a roadmap with clear phases and goals that aim to achieve progress in the political, security, economic and humanitarian fields and in the field of institution building under the sponsorship of the Quartet Committee.

The aim is to reach a comprehensive and final settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in year 2005, as mentioned in the Speech of President Bush on June 24, 2002, and which was welcomed by the EU, Russia, and the UN in the ministerial statements of the Quartet Committee on July 16 and on September 17.

This settlement which will be negotiated between the parties will lead to the emergence of an independent democratic and viable Palestinian state living side by side in security and peace with Israel and its other neighbors. This settlement will end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and will end the occupation that started in 1967 on the basis of the terms of reference of Madrid Conference and the land for peace formula and the UN Security Council Resolutions 242, 338, 1397 and the agreements signed between the parties. This settlement will take into special consideration the continuous importance of the Arab Saudi Initiative which was adopted in the Arab Summit in Beirut, which is a basic part of the international efforts that aim to achieve a comprehensive peace on all tracks, including the Syrian-Israeli and the Lebanese-Israeli tracks.

The two state solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict can only be achieved through ending violence and terrorism and a clear acceptance by both parties for the aim of the settlement to be negotiated as stipulated above. The Quartet Committee will assist and facilitate the implementation of the plan as of the first phase, including the direct discussions between the parties, whenever the need arises.

The plan set up a realistic timetable for implementation but the progress in it requires and depends on the good faith efforts of the parties and their commitments to each of the commitments as stipulated below. In case the parties implement their commitments quickly, the progress between and within the phases might come even faster than what is stipulated in the plan and vice versa.

The Quartet Committee will convene on a continuous basis at senior levels in order to assess the performance of the parties in implementing the plan. At each phase, the parties are expected to perform their commitments in a parallel manner, unless stipulated otherwise.

The First Phase: as from now and until May 2003, ending terrorism and violence; having the Palestinian life return into its normal course; building the Palestinian institutions. In the first phase, the Palestinians will start immediately implementing an unconditional halt of violence according to the specific steps as outlined below; Palestinians and Israelis will resume security cooperation on the basis of Tenet Plan to end the violence, terrorism and instigation through restructured and effective Palestinian security services; the PA will undertake a process of comprehensive political reform in preparation for the state, including the drafting of the Palestinian constitution, and free, honest and open elections along these principles (the EU requested deleting the phrase of the new PLC). Israel will take the necessary steps to restore the Palestinian normal life. Israel will withdraw from the Palestinian regions that were occupied after September 28, 2000. Both parties will return to the situation that prevailed before that date while at the same time performance and security cooperation will continue to show progress. Israel will also freeze all settlement activities in a manner that meets with Mitchell Report.

At the start of the First Phase:
- The Palestinian leadership issues a clear statement that reaffirms the right of Israel in living in peace and security and calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and halt of military activities and all forms of violence against the Israelis everywhere. All Palestinian official institutions halt instigation against Israel.

- The Israeli leadership issues a clear statement in which it affirms its commitment on the vision of the two states and an independent and viable Palestinian state with sovereignty and that lives in security and peace side by side next to the state of Israel, as expressed by President Bush. It will also call for an immediate halt of violence everywhere. The Israeli government will not undertake any acts that undermine the confidence, including deportation, (the EU and the UN demand adding the phrase: halting provocative military operations) and attacks against civilians or in the areas crowded with civilians, confiscation or demolition of homes and Palestinian properties as punitive measure or facilitating Israeli construction and demolishing civil institutions and the Palestinian infrastructure. All Israeli official institutions end instigation against Palestinians.

Security:
- Palestinians declare very clearly a halt of violence and terrorism and take concrete steps on the ground to arrest and detain persons and groups that launch and plan violent attacks against Israelis everywhere.

- The security apparatuses in the PA start effective and specific operations that aim to dismantle the terrorist capacities and infrastructure.

- Based on the existing mechanisms and the resources on the ground, the Quartet Committee starts monitoring and consulting with the parties to form a mechanism for practical monitoring and its implementation.

- As agreed earlier, the implementation of the US plan starts for reconstruction, training and resumption of the plan of security coordination in cooperation with an external supervision council that includes the US, Egypt, Jordan (The EU demands adding the phrase: with support from the Quartet Committee or with support from the EU).

- All Palestinian security services will be merged in three apparatuses that will answer to the Minister of Interior with jurisdictions.

- The Palestinian security services which will be reconstructed and retrained and their counterparts in the Israeli army will start showing progress in resuming security cooperation and other commitments in implementation to the Tenet Plan, including the ordinary meetings at a senior level with the participation of US security officials.

- The Arab countries stop public and private funding to the groups that support or participate in the violence and terrorism.

- All donors who provide support to the Palestinian budget will transfer those funds through the unified fund of the Palestinian Finance Ministry.

- As the comprehensive security performance moves forward, the Israeli army will undertake an advanced withdrawal from the territories occupied after September 28, 2000; both parties will return to the situation that prevailed before September 28, 2000; the Palestinian security troops will be deployed in the regions that will be evacuated by the Israeli army.

Building Palestinian Institutions:
- A credible process of drafting the constitution of the Palestinian state. As soon as the draft of the constitution is ready, a constitutional committee will distribute the Palestinian constitution which is based on strong democratic and parliamentarian principles and a PM with jurisdictions for the purpose of receiving general comments and discussion, the constitutional committee shall propose the draft of the document after the elections to be ratified by the appropriate Palestinian institutions.

- The Israeli government shall facilitate the movement and transport of Palestinian figures to the sessions of the PLC and the government, the security training that will be under international supervision, the elections and other activities of reform and other supporting measures related to the reform efforts.

- Appointing Palestinian ministers with jurisdictions to conduct radical reform, and conclude additional steps to achieve a real separation between the authorities, including any necessary Palestinian legal reform steps for that purpose.

- An interim PM or a government with jurisdictions of an executive authority; a body for decision-making.

- Establishing an independent Palestinian elections commission; the PLC will review and amend the elections law.

- Palestinian performance in the judiciary, administration, and economy according to the principles laid down by the international committee on Palestinian reform.

- As soon as possible (The US demanded adding the phrase: and on the basis of the measures as stipulated above) the Palestinians hold free, fair and open elections (The EU demands deleting: the PLC).

- The Israeli government will facilitate assisting the International Committee for elections; registering the voters, passage of candidates and officials of the polling stations.

- the Israeli government will reopen the Palestinian Chamber of Commerce and other Palestinian closed institutions in East Jerusalem provided that those institutions firmly abide by the previous agreements between the two parties.

Humanitarian responses:
- the Israeli government will take steps to improve the humanitarian conditions, including the implementation of the recommendations of Bertini Report on improving the humanitarian conditions; lifting the curfew; easing the restrictions imposed on the movement of individuals and goods; allowing full and secure freedom of movement of humanitarian and international employees.

- the Israeli government and the PA will continue the process of collecting the revenues and transfer of funds according to an agreed upon and transparent monitoring mechanism. The Civil Society:

- continuation of support by the donors to the People to People Program and the initiatives of the civil society.

The Settlements:
- the Israeli government dismantles immediately all settlement enclaves that were erected since March 2001.

- (Russia, the UN, and the EU demand deleting the phrase: after a total ceasefire) the Israeli government freezes all settlement activities in implementation to Mitchell Report (including the natural growth of settlements) along with giving priority to the projects that threaten the continuity of Palestinian residential regions, including the regions around Jerusalem.

The Second Phase: June 2003 - December 2003 (interim) efforts in the second phase will be focused on the option of establishing a Palestinian state with temporary borders on the basis of the new constitution as a station on the path towards the permanent solution; moving towards the second phase will be on the basis of the collective ruling of the Quartet Committee whether the conditions are appropriate for progress taking into consideration the performance of all parties; progress in the efforts to restore the Palestinian normal life and building Palestinian institution; the second phase starts after the Palestinian elections with the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state with temporary borders in 2003.

Its main objectives are comprehensive security performance, continuous and effective security cooperation; continuous effort to restore Palestinian normal life and building institutions; additional building on the objectives specified in the first phase; preparing a democratic Palestinian constitution; establishing a post of PM; deepening the political reform and establishing a Palestinian state with temporary borders.

The International Conference:
- to be held by the Quartet Committee in consultation with the parties directly after the successful end of the Palestinian elections to support the rebuilding of Palestinian economy and launch a process that leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state with temporary borders.

- this meeting will be open and on the basis of the goal of achieving a comprehensive peace in the Middle East region (including peace between Israel and Syria and Israel and Lebanon) and on the basis of the principles that were mentioned in the introduction of this document.

- restoring the Arab ties with Israel which existed before the Intifada (the commercial offices, etc.)

- reviving the multilateral commitments on issues that include regional water resources, environment, economic development, refugees, and issues of disarmament.

- a new constitution for an independent and democratic Palestinian state will be completed and ratified by the appropriate Palestinian institutions; additional elections, if the need arises, must come after ratifying the new constitution.

- establishing a reform government with jurisdictions and with a PM.

- Continuation of the comprehensive security performance, including effective security cooperation on the principles mentioned in the first phase.

- establishing a Palestinian state with temporary borders through a Palestinian-Israeli negotiations process to be launched by the international conference as part of the process; implementing the previous agreements; achieving a maximum extent of geographical continuity, including additional steps on the issue of settlements in conjunction with establishing the Palestinian state with the temporary borders.

- activating the international role in monitoring the transformation with effective and practical support and training by the Quartet Committee.

- the members of the Quartet Committee will push towards an international recognition of the Palestinian state, including the possibility of membership in the UN (the US will refer to a legal consultant).

The Third Phase: 2004 - 2005 a final agreement and end of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Moving towards the third phase on the basis of a collective ruling by the Quartet Committee taking into consideration the steps of all parties and the monitoring by the Quartet Committee. The objectives of the third phase are concluding the reform and stability of the Palestinian institutions; an effective Palestinian security performance and Palestinian-Israeli negotiations that aim to reach to a final agreement in 2005.

- A second international conference: to be held by the Quartet Committee in consultation with the parties at the beginning of 2004 to ratify the agreement reached on the state with temporary borders and to launch a process with effective and practical support from the Quartet Committee that leads to a final solution and a permanent status in 2005, including the borders, Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, and support the progress towards a comprehensive settlement in the Middle East between Israel and Lebanon and between Israel and Syria as soon as possible.

- continuation of effective and comprehensive progress in the agenda of the reform measures as specified by the international working group in preparation for the final-status agreement.

- continuation of the effective and permanent security performance and effective and permanent security cooperation on the principles mentioned in the first phase.

- international efforts to facilitate reform and stability of the Palestinian institutions and the Palestinian economy in preparation for the final-status agreement.

- the parties reach an agreement on the permanent and comprehensive status that end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in 2005 through an agreed upon settlement reached through negotiations between the parties and based on the UN Security Council Resolutions 242, 338 and 1397 that end occupation which started in 1967 and that includes a realistic (the EU demands adding: agreed upon) comprehensive and just solution to the issue of refugees and negotiable decision on the status of Jerusalem that takes into consideration the political and religious concerns of both parties and that protects the religious interests of Jews, Christians and Moslems in the world.

- the Arab countries agree to normalize relations with Israel and security to all countries in the region in the context of a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace.

Published on Al Ayyam Newspaper, 20 November 2002.