As the ink dried on the draft treaty between Israel and Jordan, negotiators from both sides resumed talks on outstanding technical matters.
Meeting in Aqaba, Elyakim Rubinstein, Israel’s chief delegate to the talks with Jordan, and his Jordanian counterpart, Fayez Tarawneh, are leading 14 different teams on topics ranging from trade and economic cooperation to security and tourism.
Meanwhile, IDF sappers cleared some 250 mines along the border between the two countries, in preparation for the formal signing of the peace treaty on Oct. 26.
President Clinton is due to attend the signing. According to news reports, he will address the Israeli and Jordanian Parliaments, and he may meet with Syrian President Hafez Assad in Damascus while he is visiting the region.
In Cairo, meanwhile, Assad held talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on the latest developments in the region, including the Israel-Jordan accord, which Damascus labeled “insignificant.”
Speaking at a news conference following the meeting, Assad said Syria would not agree to swap or lease land as Jordan had done with Israel.
According to the draft treaty signed Monday, Israel agreed to return most of the land Jordan had demanded, with the understanding that it would be leased back to Israel.
“Anyone who thinks Syria will relinquish land is making a serious mistake,” he said, referring to the Golan Heights, the issue that has deadlocked Israeli-Syrian negotiations.
In Damascus, Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa said that without peace with Syria and Lebanon, there would be no peace in the region.
Yasser Arafat, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, also condemned the agreement between Israel and Jordan, saying it violates the rights of Palestinians in Jerusalem.
In a Palestinian news agency statement, Arafat said the agreement goes against the terms of its accord with Israel on matters regarding Palestinian claims over Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
