Note for the Record

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Country/entity: Israel
Palestine
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: Note for the Record
Date: 15 Jan 1997
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Arab-Israeli Conflicts (1948 - )
This conflict involves Israelis and Palestinians over territory and belonging and has long historical antecedents. The agreements post-1990 are between the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Israel, with some supporting inter-state agreements (i.e. between Israel and Jordan). More recently the importance of the once dominating Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) has diminished not in the least due to the effective disappearance of its left-wing members and the loss of the popularity of their political wing, Fatah. Hamas and other Islamic groups have attained significant relevance in Fatah’s stead, with Hamas controlling the Gaza strip (from which Israel ultimately unilaterally withdrew (not coded as a peace agreement).

Geo-political implications of the conflict have been considerable across the MENA region.
Stage: Implementation/renegotiation
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Israel-Palestine peace process
Parties: Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Palestinian Liberation Organisation, Ra'ees [President/head] Yasser Arafat.
Third parties: U.S. Special Middle East Coordinator
Description: This short agreement reaffirms the signatories commitment to the Oslo Process and highlights the responsibilities of both sides as well as outstanding issues for discussion.

Agreement document: IS_PS_970115_Note_For_The_Record.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: Governance→Constitution→Constitutional reform/making
Page 2, Palestinian Responsibilities
The Palestinian side reaffirms its commitments to the following measures and principles in accordance with the Interim Agreement:
1. Complete the process of revising the Palestinian National Charter

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: Rights related issues→Media and communication→Media roles
Page 2, Palestinian Responsibilities
The Palestinian side reaffirms its commitments to the following measures and principles in accordance with the Interim Agreement:
...b. Preventing incitement and hostile propaganda, as specified in Article XXII of the Interim Agreement
Mobility/access: Israeli Responsibilities
The Israeli side reaffirms its commitments to the following measures and principles in accordance with the Interim Agreement:
3. Outstanding Interim Agreement Issues
Negotiations on the following outstanding issues from the Interim Agreement will be immediately resumed. Negotiations on these issues will be conducted in parallel:
a. Safe Passage
b. Gaza Airport
c. Gaza port
d. Passages
... f. People-to-people
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: Justice sector reform→Criminal justice and emergency law→Delimitation of powers in Criminal Justice System
Page 2, Palestinian Responsibilities
The Palestinian side reaffirms its commitments to the following measures and principles in accordance with the Interim Agreement:
e. Requests for transfer of suspects and defendants will be acted upon in accordance with Article II(7)(f) of Annex IV to the Interim Agreement
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: Socio-economic reconstruction→Development or socio-economic reconstruction→Socio-economic development
Page 1-2, Israeli Responsibilities
The Israeli side reaffirms its commitments to the following measures and principles in accordance with the Interim Agreement:
3. Outstanding Interim Agreement Issues
Negotiations on the following outstanding issues from the Interim Agreement will be immediately resumed. Negotiations on these issues will be conducted in parallel:
e. Economic, financial, civilian and security issues
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: Israeli Responsibilities
The Israeli side reaffirms its commitments to the following measures and principles in accordance with the Interim Agreement:
3. Outstanding Interim Agreement Issues
Negotiations on the following outstanding issues from the Interim Agreement will be immediately resumed. Negotiations on these issues will be conducted in parallel:
...c. Gaza port

Security sector

Security Guarantees: Page 1-2, Israeli Responsibilities
The Israeli side reaffirms its commitments to the following measures and principles in accordance with the Interim Agreement:
3. Outstanding Interim Agreement Issues
Negotiations on the following outstanding issues from the Interim Agreement will be immediately resumed. Negotiations on these issues will be conducted in parallel:
... e. Economic, financial, civilian and security issues

Page 2, Palestinian Responsibilities
The Palestinian side reaffirms its commitments to the following measures and principles in accordance with the Interim Agreement:
2. Fighting terror and preventing violence
a. Strengthening security cooperation
c. Combat systematically and effectively terrorist organizations and infrastructure
d. Apprehension, prosecution and punishment of terrorists
e. Requests for transfer of suspects and defendants will be acted upon in accordance with Article II(7)(f) of Annex IV to the Interim Agreement
f. Confiscation of illegal firearms
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: Page 2, Palestinian Responsibilities
The Palestinian side reaffirms its commitments to the following measures and principles in accordance with the Interim Agreement:
...3. Size of Palestinian Police will be pursuant to the Interim Agreement.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: Page 1, Israeli Responsibilities
The Israeli side reaffirms its commitments to the following measures and principles in accordance with the Interim Agreement:
Issues for Implementation
1. Further Redeployment Phases
The first phase of further redeployments will be carried out during the first week of March.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: Page 2, Palestinian Responsibilities
The Palestinian side reaffirms its commitments to the following measures and principles in accordance with the Interim Agreement:
2. Fighting terror and preventing violence
...c. Combat systematically and effectively terrorist organizations and infrastructure
d. Apprehension, prosecution and punishment of terrorists

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: Page 1, Israeli Responsibilities
The Israeli side reaffirms its commitments to the following measures and principles in accordance with the Interim Agreement:
Issues for Implementation
... 2. Prisoner Release Issues
Prisoner release issues will be dealt with in accordance with the Interim Agreement's provisions and procedures, including Annex VII.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: Page 2, Other Issues
Either party is free to raise other issues not specified above related to implementation of the Interim Agreement and obligations of both sides arising from the Interim Agreement.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Israeli Embassy in US Website; http://israel.usembassy.gov/publish/peace/note_record.htm

Note for the Record

January 15, 1997

The two leaders met on January 15, 1997, in the presence of the U.S. Special Middle East Coordinator.

They requested him to prepare this Note for the Record to summarize what they agreed upon at their meeting.

Mutual Undertakings

The two leaders agreed that the Oslo peace process must move forward to succeed.

Both parties to the Interim Agreement have concerns and obligations.

Accordingly, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to implement the Interim Agreement on the basis of reciprocity and, in this context, conveyed the following undertakings to each other:

Israeli Responsibilities

The Israeli side reaffirms its commitments to the following measures and principles in accordance with the Interim Agreement:

Issues for Implementation

1. Further Redeployment Phases

The first phase of further redeployments will be carried out during the first week of March.

2. Prisoner Release Issues

Prisoner release issues will be dealt with in accordance with the Interim Agreement's provisions and procedures, including Annex VII.

Issues for Negotiation

3. Outstanding Interim Agreement Issues

Negotiations on the following outstanding issues from the Interim Agreement will be immediately resumed.

Negotiations on these issues will be conducted in parallel:

a. Safe Passage

b. Gaza Airport

c. Gaza port

d. Passages

e. Economic, financial, civilian and security issues

f. People-to-people

4. Permanent Status Negotiations

Permanent status negotiations will be resumed within two months after implementation of the Hebron Protocol.

Palestinian Responsibilities

The Palestinian side reaffirms its commitments to the following measures and principles in accordance with the Interim Agreement:

1. Complete the process of revising the Palestinian National Charter

2. Fighting terror and preventing violence

a. Strengthening security cooperation

b. Preventing incitement and hostile propaganda, as specified in Article XXII of the Interim Agreement

c. Combat systematically and effectively terrorist organizations and infrastructure

d. Apprehension, prosecution and punishment of terrorists

e. Requests for transfer of suspects and defendants will be acted upon in accordance with Article II(7)(f) of Annex IV to the Interim Agreement

f. Confiscation of illegal firearms

3. Size of Palestinian Police will be pursuant to the Interim Agreement.

4. Exercise of Palestinian governmental activity, and location of Palestinian governmental offices, will be as specified in the Interim Agreement.

The aforementioned commitments will be dealt with immediately and in parallel.

Other Issues

Either party is free to raise other issues not specified above related to implementation of the Interim Agreement and obligations of both sides arising from the Interim Agreement.

Prepared by Ambassador Dennis Ross at the request of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ra'ees Yasser Arafat.