The Palestine Papers

(2009)

In January 2011, confidential documents related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were leaked, including thousands of pages diplomatic correspondence, minutes from private meetings, transcripts of high level exchanges and strategy papers dated from 1999 to 2010. Documents are PDFs and listed below in chronological order.

• January 1, 2009 - Matrix of Israeli and Palestinian Positions

  • Summary: A matrix of the latest Israeli and Palestinian negotiating positions.
• January 26, 2009 - Table on Status of Mitchell Report and Road Map Implementations

  • Summary: A table of Israeli and Palestinian Road Map obligations and their status, which argues that Palestinians are much closer to implementing their obligations than the Israeli government or than Arab states. The vast majority of objectives have not been implemented by Israel.
• January 31, 2009 - NSU Memo to Fayyad Re: Settlement Freeze

  • Summary: NSU memo to Salam Fayyad on settlement freeze (in accordance with the Road Map), redeployment to September 28, 2000 lines, and movement and access.
• March 10, 2009 - Joint Document 2009

  • Summary: This is a draft of 'Joint Document 2009', a paper that reviews the obligations of both the Israelis and the Palestinians in accordance of the Road Map, Permanent Status issues such as borders, Jerusalem, refugees, security, water and economic relations. Finally, the document outlines the terms of a peace treaty if all Permanent Status issues are met.
• March 24, 2009 - Meeting Minutes: Mahmoud Abbas and NSU Advisors

  • Summary: Mahmoud Abbas briefs the NSU advisors on conference held in Cairo and the Permanent Status issues that were discussed. Permanent Status Negotiations are hold while Israel forms new government.
• April 28, 2009 - Draft Interim Agreement: Redeployment of Israeli Forces
  • Summary: Draft interim agreement regarding further redeployments (FRD) of Israeli Military Forces in Areas A, B, C and associated terms; reference to Wye Memorandum.
• May 1, 2009 - Summary Status Report: Implementation of Phase I of the Road Map
  • Summary: This is a comparative status chart of Israeli and Palestinian Phase One obligations under the Road Map Agreement.
• May 5, 2009 - Meeting Minutes: Saeb Erekat with NSU

  • Summary: Minutes of meeting with Saeb Erekat and NSU advisors on May 5, 2009. Erekat briefs the NSU team on the new Regional Road Map (RRM). The RRM will be presented to Obama as a favor, with hopes that Obama will make the plan his own and pitch it back to the Arab states and Israel. The RRM is being reviewed by most of the Arab states, including the EU, Spain, China, Japan.
• May 10, 2009 - PLO Presentation: Palestinian-Israeli Conflict - Challenges to a Negotiated Solution

  • Summary: Presentation entitled "Palestinian-Israeli Conflict - Challenges to a Negotiated Solution - Focus on Security," dated May 10, 2009. The presentation gives an overview of permanent status issues as well as data on settlements; also provides analysis in terms of Annapolis agreements
• May 14, 2009 - Outline of Potential Confidence Building Measures Required from Israel

  • Summary: This is an outline of measures that the Palestinian government is requiring from Israel in order to proceed with Permanent Status negotiations. The list (ie-security, lifting the closure regime, East Jerusalem, etc.) is meant to give an overview of the range of possible confidence building measures, and does not constitute an exhaustive list or make any recommendations with respect to any particular measure
• May 19, 2009 - Wye River Memorandum: Israel's Obligation and Status of Implementation

  • Summary: This Wye River memorandum was drafted as an attempt to rejuvenate the Israeli military and land redeployments that were stipulated in the Interim Agreements and supposed to occur within a specified timeframe.
• May 19, 2009 - Fact Sheet: Update on Road Map Violations After Annapolis

  • Summary: This chart summarizes Israeli violations since the Annapolis Conference. It illustrates how Israel has failed to implement any of its Road Map obligations, and in fact, has accelerated its settlement activity post-Annapolis
• June 3, 2009 - PLO Presentation: Israel's Settlement Enterprise - What Can and Should Be Done

  • Summary: Presentation by NSU entitled "Israel's Settlement Enterprise - What Can and Should Be Done," that advocates settlements as the single greatest threat to the establishment of a sovereign & viable Palestinian state.
• July 28, 2009 - NSU: Athens Recommendations to the U.S. Administration

  • Summary: A list of recommendations to the U.S. administration on the importance of pressuring Israel to enact a full settlement freeze.  The list includes measures the U.S. administration can take to target the settlement enterprise and send a strong message to the Israeli government.
• July 29, 2009 - Draft of Bader Khoury Speech at University of Tel Aviv

  • Summary: Draft speech for Bassem Khoury for panel discussion “Economic Peace and the Two State Solution – What comes First?” at Tel Aviv University.  Khoury discusses the problems exacerbated by Israeli settlements and the challenges to economic prosperity and relations.
• September 17, 2009 - Meeting Minutes: Saeb Erekat and David Hale

  • Summary: Minutes of meeting primarily between Saeb Erekat and David Hale on September 17, 2009. Hale attempts to convince Erekat to accept Israeli restraint on settlements rather than a complete freeze; he expresses concern that Erekat is being unreasonable and that some talks are better than none. Erekat refuses to compromise on 1967 borders, settlement freezes and Jerusalem; he believes they have sacrificed enough to not push for exactly what they want now
• September 17, 2009 - Palestinian Questions for George Mitchell

  • Summary: Notes entitled "Questions for Senator Mitchell," that proposes questions regarding the following areas: US-Israel Arrangement on Settlements, Trilateral Meeting, Substance, Phase I Road Map Obligations, Regional Impact and Refugees.
• September 30, 2009 - Talking Points on Israel-US Arrangement on Settlement Activity

  • Summary: NSU document entitled "Summary Talking Points on Israel-US "Arrangement" on Settlement Activity," dated September 2009. The talkings points advocate that the proposed arrangement would not fulfill the main reasons for a freeze. It excludes settlements in and around East Jerusalem as well as the two areas with the most intensive settlement activity
• October 1, 2009 - Meeting Summary: Saeb Erekat and George Mitchell

  • Summary: Summary of main talking points in meeting among Erekat, Mitchell and Hale. The three primarily discuss the status of negotiations, the importance of using 67 borders as a baseline and the political importance of Jerusalem. Mitchell expresses his skepticism of both the Palestinian's approach and over Israel's willingness to compromise. Erekat informs Mitchell that it is better to have no negotiations that ineffective ones; without starting from the 67 borders, further talks are doomed to fail again.
• October 2, 2009 - US Language on Bilateral Negotiations Track

  • Summary: Document containing proposed US language towards bilateral negotiation agreements and comprehensive peace.
• October 5, 2009 - Draft - Terms of Reference Agreement - Preamble
  • Summary: Draft of preamble to joint document agreement Israel and Palestine regarding continuation of negotiations.
• November 4, 2009 - Israeli Settlement Growth Data as of November 2009

  • Summary: This worksheet illustrates settlement growth in East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank since 2001. The graphs and tables include unit completions and units under construction in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. It also provides a projection of what settlement growth will be into 2011 based on current trends.