Press release of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
Paris, 15 January 2001
N° 106

Representatives of the Knesset and of the Palestinian Legislative Council met today in Paris, under the auspices of the Committee on Middle East Questions of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), chaired by a French MP, Mr Yves Tavernier.

The Chairman of the Labor parliamentary group of the Knesset, Mr Ofir Pines, the representative of Likud, Mr Zeev Boim, and the President of the Political Committee of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Mr Ziad Abu Amr, participated today in a working session organised by the IPU's Committee on Middle East Questions, in the presence of the IPU Secretary General, Mr Anders B. Johnsson.

The meeting, which took place in a climate of constructive dialogue, at the French National Assembly and on the invitation of the French Inter-Parliamentary Group, dealt with the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and in particular the main compromise points proposed to the parties by the United States President, Mr Bill Clinton, on questions relating to territory, security, the problem of Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem and the Holy Places. The participants expressed different points of view on these questions, but the Committee President was "encouraged by the participants' determination to pursue the dialogue between institutions". Mr Yves Tavernier felt that "a solution could be found" to the problem of territories. With regard to the problem of refugees, the Committee President called for reconciling the Palestinians' imprescriptible right of return with the need to safeguard the integrity and specificity of Israel. Finally, the Committee expressed the hope that the Palestinian Legislative Council would be able to meet again without difficulty in Ramallah.

The participants also emphasized the importance of promoting direct and regular contacts between the Knesset and the Palestinian Legislative Council. They further invited the Committee to hold another meeting in the area.

The Committee will meet in Havana from 1 to 7 April 2001 at the 105th Inter-Parliamentary Conference and will continue to examine the situation. Created in 1987, the goal of the Committee on Middle East Questions is to foster direct contacts between the Arab and Israeli delegations and promote parliamentary action in support of the peace process. The Committee meets during the IPU's statutory conferences and at special sessions to hear the Arab and Israeli delegations. It is composed of 12 MPs from all parts of the world. The following were present: Mr Raymond Ahouandjinou (Benin), Mrs Pensak Chagsuchinda (Thailand), Mr. Andrea Philippou (Cyprus) and Mrs Oddbjorg Ausdal Starrfelt (Norway).

Founded in 1889 and based in Geneva, the IPU is the organisation of the world’s parliaments. It currently has 140 member national parliaments and five regional parliamentary organisations with associate member status. It also has a Liaison Bureau with the UN in New York.