January 13, 1998

This document details the Palestinian obligations arising from the Note for the Record attached to the January 15, 1997 Hebron Protocol. In accordance with the principle of reciprocity incorporated in the Note for the Record, the implementation of the Palestinians' obligations is a condition for the implementation of the further redeployments.

The Palestinian commitments include the following four primary items:

1. Complete the process of revising the Palestinian National Charter
2. Fighting terror and preventing violence
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

Provided by the Government Press Office

January 13, 1998

"1. Complete the process of revising the Palestinian National Charter"

COMMITMENTS ARISING FROM THE OBLIGATION

Following are the requisite steps for implementation (in stages):

Stage One

a. issuance of a statement by the legal committee specifying the articles of the Covenant which were amended or annulled in accordance with the April 1996 Palestinian National Council (PNC) decision (i.e. the articles in the Covenant which are inconsistent with the Palestinian obligations in the framework of the peace process).

Stage Two

b. reconvening of the PNC to pass a new resolution which affirms the statement issued by the legal committee concerning which specific articles in the Covenant were amended or annulled.

At the same time, the Palestinian Authority must refrain from replacing the articles with other articles which contradict the agreements and/or the peace process, for such a step would be considered a failure to fulfill their obligation to amend the requisite articles in the Covenant.

Articles in the Palestinian Covenant Which Must be Amended

Following is a list of the articles in the Covenant which must be amended. The list is divided into four categories, with some articles appearing under more than one category.

A. Articles Calling for Armed Struggle Against Israel

The following articles in the Covenant contradict Chairman Arafat's commitment to renounce the use of violence and terror and to resolve differences via negotiations:

Article 7: "the upbringing of the Palestinian individual in an Arab and revolutionary fashion… and preparing him for the conflict and the armed struggle as well as for the sacrifice of his property and his life to restore his homeland"

Article 8: "the Palestinian masses… comprise one national front which acts to restore Palestine and liberate it through armed struggle"

Article 9: "Armed struggle is the only way to liberate Palestine is therefore a strategy and not tactics…" [and other references to armed revolution, etc.]

Article 10: "Fedayeen action forms the nucleus of the popular Palestinian war of liberation" [and other references to armed Palestinian revolution]

Article 15: contains numerous references to the "armed Palestinian revolution"

Article 18: provides that: "liberation of Palestine is a defensive act" [implying that aggression and terror against Israel is legitimate]

Article 26: "the PLO represents the forces of the Palestinian revolution"

Article 27: "…cooperation with all Arab states… on the basis of the requirements of the battle of liberation"

Article 29: "the Palestinian people… will define its position with reference to all states and powers on the basis of their positions with reference to the… extent of their support for the Palestinian revolution"

Article 30: "the fighters and bearers of arms in the battle of liberation are the nucleus of the popular army"

B. Articles Which Contradict the Recognition of Israel's Right to Exist

Articles 1, 2 and 3: read together, these articles provide that the Palestinian people possesses the exclusive legal rights to its homeland which comprises Palestine within the boundaries that existed at the time of the British mandate, and that following the liberation of this homeland it will exercise exclusive self-determination within this area [i.e. there is no room for an additional sovereign within the area of mandatory Palestine]

Article 8: refers to "the fundamental contradiction between Zionism and colonialism on the one side and the Palestinian Arab people on the other"

Article 15: refers to the "…duty to repulse the Zionist imperialist invasion from the Great Arab homeland and to purge the Zionist presence"

Article 19: provides that "the establishment of Israel is fundamentally null and void…"

Article 21: "rejects every solution that is a substitute for a complete liberation of Palestine and rejects all plans that aim at the settlement of the Palestinian issue or its internationalization"

Article 22: rife with vile accusations against Israel and Zionism, among them: Zionism is "racist", "expansionist", "colonialist", "fascist", and "nazi", and Israel "is a constant threat to peace in the Middle East and the entire world". The article also provides that "the liberation of Palestine will liquidate the Zionist and imperialist presence"

Article 23: calls on all states "to consider Zionism an illegitimate movement and to prohibit its existence and activity"

C. Articles Which Refer to the "Liberation of Palestine"

Article 13: concerns the relation between Arab unity and the liberation of Palestine

Article 14: concerns the relation between the destiny of the Arab nation and the liberation of Palestine

Article 25: concerns the role of the PLO in the liberation of Palestine

D. Other Articles Which Must be Amended

Article 4: provides that Palestinian nationality passes from father to son and "is not affected by the Zionist occupation"

Article 5: "the Palestinians" are those Arab citizens who were living permanently in Palestine until 1947, and anyone born to a Palestinian father after this date.

Article 6: "Jews who were living permanently in Palestine until the beginning of the Zionist invasion will be considered Palestinians"

Article 11: the Palestinian mottoes: "national unity, national mobilization and liberation"

Article 12: refers to "this phase of its national struggle"

Article 20: "The Balfour Declaration, the mandate document and what has been based upon them are considered null and void… the Jews are not a people but a religion."