Dear Madam/Sir,

Please find attached a memorandum elaborating some of the remarks and questions of the Palestinian Negotiating Teams’ regarding the proposal made by the United States in the most recent round of negotiations in Washington, D.C.

I would like to assure you that we remain committed to reaching a permanent status agreement with Israel, so as to reach a lasting and comprehensive peace. We also are grateful for all the suggestions and proposals made by the international community aimed at facilitating the conclusion of such an agreement. However, we believe that for such an agreement to be able to achieve its goal of a just and lasting peace, it must be truly comprehensive and clear, avoiding any future misunderstandings that may, in themselves, jeopardize peace and stability in the region. In short, we want to avoid a repetition of the flaws contained in the previous agreement between the Palestinians and Israel. We believe that such flaws would have a far more devastating effect in the context of a permanent status agreement.

It is with this spirit that the following remarks and requests for clarification regarding the United States’ proposal are made. We need to be sure that both sides agree to the same contents from the outset so as to preclude future stalemates and deadlocks in a process that will determine permanent relations between the Palestinian people and Israel.

I hope that the following remarks will be useful in clarifying the Palestinian position regarding the United States proposal, and that they will contribute to reaching a stable, comprehensive, and permanent peace in the region.