Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
In response to rising tension between Palestinians and Israelis over the question of prisoner releases by Israel in terms of the Wye River agreements, the Department of Foreign Affairs called on both sides to do all possible to defuse the present crisis.
Restraint must be exercised by all concerned the Department said, adding that acts of violence against innocent bystanders had to be condemned.
It was pointed out that the Wye River agreement concluded in October 1998 between Israel and Palestine had been finalized with a view to implementation of the various Middle East Peace Process Accords, in particular the Interim Agreement of 28 September 1995, Annex VII of which had made specific provision for the release of Palestinian political prisoners.
The Department reiterated the South African Government's view that it would be tragic if failure to abide by these obligations results in further injury or loss of innocent life and leads once more to another deadlock in efforts to move the Middle East Peace Process forward.
The Department accordingly called upon the Government of Israel to meet fully its obligations in terms of the Oslo Peace Accords and to live up to the spirit of hope which the Wye River agreement had engendered in the Middle East Peace Process.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRETORIA 8 DECEMBER 1998