Mr. Dani Naveh
Cabinet Secretary
Office of the Prime Minister
Jerusalem

Dear Dani:

I wanted to confirm our policy on the issues of Permanent Status Negotiations and Prisoner Releases. In this regard, the
statements issued publicly by the State Department are
accurate and represent our policies.

Embassy of the United States of America
Tel Aviv
October 29, 1998

Mr. Dani Naveh
Cabinet Secretary
Office of the Prime Minister
Jerusalem

Dear Dani:

I wanted to confirm our policy on the issues of unilateral actions
and the Charter of the PLO. In this regard, the statements
issued publicly by the State Department on October 27, 1998,
are accurate and represent our policies.

With regard to unilateral declarations or other unilateral
actions, the statement said: "as regards to the possibility of a
unilateral declaration of statehood or other unilateral actions by
either party outside the negotiating process that prejudge or
predetermine the outcome of those negotiations, the U.S.
opposes and will oppose any such unilateral actions."

"Indeed, the U.S. has maintained for many years that an
acceptable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only
be found through negotiations, not through unilateral actions.
And as we look to the future, that will remain our policy."

"For the present, we are doing all we can to promote
permanent status negotiations on an accelerated basis. And
we are stressing that those who believe that they can declare
unilateral positions or take unilateral acts, when the interim
period ends, are courting disaster."

With regard to the PNC, the statement said: "the Wye River
Agreement specifies that the members of the PNC (as well as
the members of the PLO Central Council, the Palestinian
Council and the Heads of Palestinian Ministries) will be invited
to a meeting which President Clinton will attend."

"The purpose of this meeting of the PNC and other PLO
organizations is to reaffirm Chairman Arafat's January 22 letter
to President Clinton nullifying each of the Charter's provisions
that are inconsistent with the PLO's commitments to renounce
terror, and to recognize and live in peace with Israel."

"This process of reaffirmation will make clear, once and for all,
that the provisions of the PLO Charter that call for the
destruction of Israel are null and void."

These public statements by the State Department represent
our policies. We will not change them and they will remain our
policies in the future.

Sincerely,

Edward S. Walker, Jr.
Ambassador

_______________________________________________________


U.S. State Department
Washington, D.C.
October 30, 1998

Mr. Dani Naveh
Cabinet Secretary
Government of Israel

Dear Mr. Naveh:

I wanted to provide further clarification of the understanding of
the United States regarding one of the issues addressed in the
"Wye River Memorandum."

With respect to the Palestinian side's provision of its list of
policemen to Israel (II(C)(1)(a)), the U.S. has been assured that
it will receive all appropriate information concerning current
and former policemen as part of our assistance program. It is
also our understanding that it was agreed by the two sides that
the total number of Palestinian policemen would not exceed
30,000.

Sincerely,

Dennis B. Ross
Special Middle East Coordinator

_______________________________________________________
 

United States Department of State
Washington, D.C. 20520
October 23, 1998

Mr. Dani Naveh
Israeli-Palestinian Monitoring
and Steering Committee

Dear Dani:

With regard to the current or former U.S. elected official to be
appointed to the trilateral incitement committee referred to in
"The Wye River Memorandum", we intend to consult with the
Israeli Government to confirm that the appointment would be
mutually satisfactory.

Sincerely,

Dennis B. Ross
Special Middle East Coordinator