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![]() Friday, October 23, 1998 Published at 22:02 GMT 23:02 UK ![]() ![]() World: Middle East ![]() Middle East deal signed ![]() The agreement was signed at the White House ![]() President Bill Clinton and Israeli and Palestinian leaders have signed an interim Middle East peace agreement.
The leaders arrived in Washington by helicopter from Wye River in Maryland, where the agreement was concluded earlier.
The Palestinians are to take action against militants, and to cancel the PLO charter's calls for the destruction of Israel. President Clinton said the agreement was designed "to rebuild trust and renew hope for peace". "Both parties must now build on that trust, and carry out their commitments," the president said.
He said negotiators had overcome tremendous challenges, which filled him with confidence that a final peace settlement could be met. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said the deal showed the peace process was moving forward. He said the Palestinians would never turn away from peace and that the days of confrontation and violence were over.
There was praise from all the speakers for King Hussein of Jordan, who was present to facilitate the talks despite serious illness. "It has been a shot in the arm for me, what you have accomplished today," the King said at the signing ceremony. US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright described the signing as "a new chapter in the pursuit of a permanent peace in the Middle East". Last-minute difficulties An interim deal emerged on Friday morning, but soon ran into trouble over the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and an American in prison in the United States for spying for Israel.
The peace process threatened to break down when the Israelis insisted on Mr Pollard's release as part of the peace deal. Differences also remained on Friday morning over how many Palestinian prisoners the Israelis are to release as part of the deal. All-night talks
The interim deal is expected to end a 19-month log jam in Middle East peace negotiations. However, many tough decisions, such as over the future of Jerusalem, would still remain. Israeli President Ezer Weizman, a frequent critic of the slow pace of peacemaking, said the accord was "good for Israel and the majority of the country". But Israeli right-wingers blasted the deal as a "betrayal", saying it could lead to more bloodshed.
The militant Islamic movement, Hamas, has also denounced the accord and vowed to continue its attacks against Israeli targets. ![]() |
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