The Geneva Accords are an effort to formulate a complete final-status agreement, without Sharon's long-term interim agreements. The agreement is presented as a draft for the final phase of the “road map” peace plan, which is due to end in 2005.
The 50-page draft peace agreement was completed over the weekend in neighboring Jordan by the two delegations, which included current legislators and former cabinet members on both sides. The proposal offers highly specific solutions and calls for major compromises on the most sensitive issues that have torpedoed previous peace efforts, ranging from the status of Palestinian refugees to Israeli settlements.
No official document has yet been made public to list the agreements reached between Israeli left-wing politicians and senior Palestinian representatives. Israeli and Palestinian negotiators hope to sign the "Geneva Accord" in the Swiss city on November 4, 2003, the eighth anniversary of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The following are concessions agreed to by the sides, according to media reports.
Israeli concessions
1. Israel will agree to the establishment of a demilitarized Palestinian state and will withdraw to the 1967 borders, except for certain territorial exchanges, as described below.
2. Jerusalem will be divided, with Arab (Muslim and Christian) neighborhoods of East Jerusalem becoming part of the Palestinian state.
3. Temple Mount will be under Palestinian sovereignty, however, in light of the sanctity of the site and its religious and cultural significance to the Jewish people, there will be no archaeological digs or construction without the consent of both sides. The Mount would be transferred to the Palestinians 30 months after the agreement is signed.
4. An international force stationed permanently will supervise Jerusalem's holy sites, ensuring freedom of access for visitors of all faiths. However, Jewish prayer will not be permitted on the mount.
5. The Muslim, Armenian and Christian quarters of the Old City would be Palestinian. There would be special arrangements to allow Israelis to pass through the Armenian quarter on their way to the Jewish quarter. The entire Old City would be open: the borders between the quarters would be marked, but they would not be separated by physical barriers.
6. Most of West Bank, including the settlements of Ariel, Efrat and Har Homa, all of Gaza and the Jordan Valley will be turned over to the Palestinians. Israel's withdrawal from the territories will be completed within 30 months, during which time the settlements will be dismantled, but the Israel forces will be allowed to deploy in the Jordan Valley for an additional three years.
7. Israel will transfer to Palestinians parts of the Negev adjacent to Gaza, but not including Halutza, to the Palestinians in exchange for the parts of the West Bank it will receive, including Maale Adumim and Gush Etzion.
8. Safe passage route between Gaza and West Bank will be established.
Palestinian concessions
1. Palestinians will waive "right of return" for refugees, except for a limited number of that will be allowed to settle in Israel, mainly for the purposes of reuniting families, but this will not be defined as realization of the right of return.
2. Some refugees will remain in the countries where they now live, others will be absorbed by the PA, some will be absorbed by other countries and some will receive financial compensation.
3. Western Wall and Jewish Quarter will be under Israeli sovereignty, the “holy basin” will be under international supervision.
4. Jewish neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, including Pisgat Ze'ev and Ramot as well as the West Bank suburbs of Givat Ze'ev, Ma'aleh Adumim and the historic part of Gush Etzion - but not Efrat - will remain under Israeli sovereignty. Jewish and Arab areas in East Jerusalem would be separated by physical barriers, but the two parties would consider removing them after three years.
5. The Palestinians will pledge to prevent terror and incitement and disarm all militias. Their state will be demilitarized, and border crossings will be supervised by an international, but not an Israeli, force.
6. Palestinians will collect all illegal weaponry.
7. Palestinians will recognize Israel as a Jewish state, and announce an end to their conflict with Israel.
Common Clauses
1. Law and order in the Old City would be maintained by a special international force that would include Israeli and Palestinian policemen.
2. Visas would be needed to cross from Israeli to Palestinian Jerusalem or vice versa. Both the Israeli and the Palestinian sections of the city would be territorially contiguous, without enclaves.
3. The agreement will replace all UN resolutions and previous agreements.