At the Barak trial, evidence will be produced to show that he proposed at Camp David the formal annexation of 10 percent of the West Bank area ("settlement blocs") and informal annexation of another 10 percent (Jordan valley etc.), with the rest of the territory cut up into enclaves and cut off from the neighboring countries (Egypt and Jordan); that he pretended to "give up" East Jerusalem but without giving the Palestinians full sovereignty there, and especially not over the compound of the mosques ("Temple Mount"); that he did not agree to any compromise on the refugees; and that he demanded that the Palestinians declare this to be "the end of the conflict."
Until now, Barak's blind admirers have fervently denied these facts. But this week a witness appeared who could decide the outcome of the trial. He is a neutral and objective eye-witness, whose integrity cannot be doubted by any judge: Robert Malley, personal assistant to President Clinton on the Middle East, who took part in all the Camp David deliberations.51 He will testify to the following facts, among others:
Before the summit, Barak reneged on his promise to transfer to the Palestinian Authority the village of Abu Dis and two other villages near Jerusalem, in spite of the fact that Clinton personally conveyed this promise to Arafat. Also, Barak refused to honor Israel's obligations under the previous agreements: the third withdrawal from most of the West Bank areas, the release of Palestinian prisoners etc. Because of this, Clinton was furious with Barak on several occasions.
Before the summit, Barak continued to enlarge the settlements and build bypass roads at a furious pace, thus destroying any vestige of Palestinian trust in his intentions.
Before and during the summit, the Palestinians not only gave up 78 percent of Mandatory Palestine, but also agreed to the annexation to Israel of "settlement blocs" and the Jewish neighborhoods built in occupied East Jerusalem. They also agreed to the principle that the right of return should be implemented without prejudicing the demographic and security interests of Israel. No other Arab government has ever agreed to similar concessions.
In exchange for the settlement blocs, Barak offered the Palestinians areas amounting to one-ninth of the territory to be annexed, a ratio of 1:9, without specifying where.
During the course of the summit, Barak did not submit any
proposal in writing or specify the details of his oral proposals, and, most importantly, did not disclose either to Arafat or even to Clinton his ideas for a final settlement. In return, Arafat, too, did not submit any proposals, so that in practice there was no negotiation at all.