Summary
The Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum, made and signed at Sharm el-Sheikh on 4 September 1999 by Prime Minister Ehud Barak for Israel and Chairman Yasir Arafat for the PLO and witnessed by Egypt, the United States and Jordan, re-timelines full mutual implementation of the Interim Agreement and the Wye River Memorandum: permanent status negotiations resume not later than September 13, 1999 toward a Framework Agreement in five months and a comprehensive agreement in one year, redeployments transfer 7% C to B (September 5, 1999), 2% B to A and 3% C to B (November 15, 1999) and 1% C to A and 5.1% B to A (January 20, 2000), 200 prisoners are released on September 5, 1999 and 150 on October 8, 1999, the Southern Safe passage route opens October 1, 1999, Gaza Sea Port construction starts the same day, and Shuhada Road and the Hasbahe market in Hebron reopen by October 30 and November 1, 1999 (The Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum on Implementation Timeline of Outstanding Commitments of Agreements Signed and the Resumption of Permanent Status Negotiations (4 September 1999), lines 1-176).
What the file is
The Avalon Project reproduction, about 1,807 words in the text copy, lines 1-176: a preamble and eleven numbered paragraphs, closing signatures and witnesses. A footnote marker “1” follows the entry-into-force sentence and no footnote text is present in the copy.
Section by section
- Preamble (lines 25-35). Full and mutual implementation of the Interim Agreement and all agreements since September 1993 and all outstanding commitments, without derogating from the prior agreements.
- §1, Permanent Status Negotiations (lines 35-50). Accelerated resumption; Framework Agreement in five months from resumption, comprehensive agreement in one year; negotiations lead to implementation of Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338; resumption after the first prisoner stage and the second stage of the First and Second Further Redeployments, not later than September 13, 1999.
- §2, Further Redeployments (lines 50-60). The three dated transfers totaling, as listed, 7% C to B, then 2% B to A and 3% C to B, then 1% C to A and 5.1% B to A.
- §3, Release of Prisoners (lines 60-75). Joint committee; release of prisoners who committed offences prior to September 13, 1993 and were arrested prior to May 4, 1994; first stage 200 on September 5, 1999, second stage 150 on October 8, 1999; further lists; aim to release before next Ramadan.
- §4, Committees (lines 75-85). Third Further Redeployment Committee and all interim and Wye committees resume by September 13, 1999; Continuing Committee on displaced persons resumes October 1, 1999; Ad-hoc Economic Committee recommendations implemented by October 30, 1999.
- §5, Safe Passage (lines 85-100). Southern Route operation October 1, 1999 under a protocol concluded by September 30, 1999; Northern Route crossing location agreed by October 5, 1999, temporary facilities within four months of that agreement; interim facilitation on non-Safe Passage routes; locations without prejudice to Permanent Status.
- §6, Gaza Sea Port (lines 100-120). Construction works commence October 1, 1999; no operation before a joint Sea Port protocol; security and customs inspection and a designated checking area; Israeli facilitation of construction movement; joint coordination mechanism.
- §7, Hebron Issues (lines 120-130). Shuhada Road second phase by October 30, 1999; Hasbahe wholesale market opened by November 1, 1999; Joint Liaison Committee by September 13, 1999 on the Tomb of the Patriarchs / Al Haram Al Ibrahimi.
- §8, Security (lines 130-145). Both sides act on terrorism, violence or incitement by Palestinians or Israelis, with information exchange; Palestinian Wye obligations continued — weapons collection and suspect apprehension with reports, policemen list by September 13, 1999, Monitoring and Steering Committee review from October 15, 1999.
- §9-11 and closing (lines 145-176). Call on donors; neither side to change the status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip; holiday/Saturday dates roll to the next working day; entry into force one week from signature. Signed by Barak and Arafat; witnessed by President “Hosni Mobarak” [as printed] for Egypt, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright for the United States, and King Abdullah II for Jordan.
Key passages
- “commit themselves to full and mutual implementation of the Interim Agreement” (lines 25-35).
- “neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip” (§10, lines 145-155).
Evidence the work relies on
The Memorandum relies on the prior agreements it re-timelines — the Interim Agreement (citing Annex I Article X on safe passage, Annex I Article VII on Hebron and Article XXVII on displaced persons), the Wye River Memorandum (citing its article III-6) and Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338. It is an operative agreement text and presents no other evidence.
Analysis
An operative re-timelining memorandum, not an argument. Where Wye paired redeployment with Palestinian security steps over twelve weeks, this text gives the outstanding items calendar dates in 1999-2000 and adds the one-year comprehensive-agreement goal (the date Origins and Evolution of the Palestine Problem: Part V (1989-2000) records as 13 September 2000). Eligibility for prisoner release is cut off by offence and arrest dates (before September 13, 1993 and May 4, 1994 respectively).
People, organizations, places and events
Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum, Ehud Barak, Yasir Arafat, Madeleine Albright, Hebron, Interim Agreement, Wye River Memorandum, Area A, Area B, Area C
Concepts
How it relates to other sources
This is the primary text for the memorandum Origins and Evolution of the Palestine Problem: Part V (1989-2000) summarized, with the same prisoner stages (200 and 150), safe passage, port, Shuhada Road and framework dates. It carries forward the unfinished items of both The Wye River Memorandum (23 October 1998) and, for Hebron, Protocol Concerning the Redeployment in Hebron (15 January 1997) — whose four-month Shuhada Road and Hasbahe undertakings are here given new dates in 1999.
Open questions
- §7 cites a “January 15, 1998 US Minute of Discussion” on the Tomb of the Patriarchs; the year is as printed and is not explained in the file.
- The entry-into-force footnote marker has no corresponding footnote text in this copy.
- “Hosni Mobarak” is the spelling printed for the Egyptian witness.
Coverage
lines 1-176 of 176, read in full