Hebron Protocol

Hebron Protocol
Government of Israel and Palestine Liberation Organization · Public domain · source
Name	Hebron Protocol
Date	15 January 1997
Location	Hebron, West Bank
Parties	Israeli government; Palestinian Authority
Context	Oslo Accords, Gaza–Jericho Agreement

Hebron Protocol The Hebron Protocol was an agreement concluded on 15 January 1997 between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to implement aspects of the Oslo Accords concerning the city of Hebron. The accord redistributed security responsibilities, modified territorial control, and addressed the protection of religious sites, with immediate impacts on relations among Yasser Arafat, Benjamin Netanyahu, and international actors including the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations Security Council. Negotiated in the aftermath of the Oslo II Accord and the Gaza–Jericho Agreement, the Protocol became a focal point in the Israeli–Palestinian peace process and subsequent disputes involving Hamas, Israeli settlers, and Palestinian security forces.

Background

The Protocol emerged from the second phase of the Oslo process and negotiations following the 1993 Oslo I Accord and the 1995 Oslo II Accord. Tensions in Hebron had escalated after incidents such as the 1994 Cave of the Patriarchs massacre and persistent clashes between Israeli settlers and Palestinian residents in the West Bank. International mediation involved envoys from the United States Department of State, including figures connected to the Camp David Accords diplomacy and advisers from the Clinton administration, along with monitoring by the Multinational Force and Observers in other contexts and observer involvement from the European Union External Action Service. The Protocol was framed within broader regional developments involving the Jordan–Israel peace treaty, the role of King Hussein of Jordan's successors, and shifting priorities after the First Intifada.

Negotiation and Signatories

Negotiations involved Israeli and Palestinian delegations led by senior officials representing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for Israel and Chairman Yasser Arafat for the Palestinian Authority, with facilitation by United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's predecessors in policy and advisers tied to the Camp David 2000 milieu. Senior negotiators and signatories included officials from the Ministry of Defense (Israel), the Israel Defense Forces, and the Palestinian security services; municipal representation included actors from the Hebron Municipality and local religious authorities associated with the Hebron Jewish community and Palestinian civic leaders. International signatories and witnesses included representatives from the United States Embassy in Israel, the European Commission, and observers from the United Nations.

Main Provisions

The Protocol delineated zones of control within Hebron by dividing the city into multiple sectors with different authorities, assigning specific sectors to Israeli security control and others to Palestinian civil administration under the Palestinian Authority. It reaffirmed arrangements concerning access to the Cave of the Patriarchs, delineated responsibilities for policing and public order involving the Israel Defense Forces and Palestinian police units trained under programs linked to Western security cooperation, and established procedures for coordination on movement, checkpoints, and border crossings analogous to mechanisms in the Gaza Strip and West Bank post-Oslo agreements. The accord also set frameworks for dispute resolution invoking trilateral consultations with the United States and potential recourse to diplomatic instruments used in prior accords like Wye River Memorandum-era modalities.

Implementation and Deployment

Implementation required redeployment of Israel Defense Forces units, adjustments to Israeli civilian presence in parts of Hebron, and deployment of Palestinian police forces trained with assistance reminiscent of programs involving the United States Agency for International Development and security cooperation models used in other post-conflict transitions. International monitoring and reporting involved personnel linked to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and diplomatic missions from the European Union, Russia, and Norway. Implementation faced obstacles from incidents involving Israeli settlers, clashes with Palestinian residents, and actions by militias such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, leading to periodic suspension of certain provisions and supplemental arrangements negotiated through follow-up talks in forums connected to the Quartet on the Middle East.

Impact and Aftermath

The Protocol temporarily altered everyday life in Hebron through changes in access, security, and municipal services, influencing relations among local leaders, religious authorities connected to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem alumni and Palestinian academic institutions, and civil society organizations including B'Tselem and Al-Haq. Politically, the agreement affected domestic debates within the Likud party, the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and successive Israeli and Palestinian administrations, contributing to polarization that produced later accords such as the Wye River Memorandum and influencing the trajectory toward the Second Intifada. International reactions ranged from endorsement by the United States and the European Union to criticism by actors like Syria and non-state groups opposing the peace process. The Hebron arrangements remain a reference point in discussions about territorial arrangements, settlement policies, and security coordination in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

Legal and International Context

Legally, the Protocol operated alongside instruments like the Oslo Accords, the Geneva Conventions in occupation law debates, and opinions from the International Court of Justice on related matters. It raised questions addressed in forums such as the United Nations Security Council and the International Criminal Court's broader jurisdictional discourse, and intersected with bilateral treaties like the Israel–Jordan peace treaty. The accord also engaged international legal scholars and human rights organizations, including reports by Amnesty International and the International Committee of the Red Cross, over compliance with obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law. Subsequent legal and diplomatic negotiations referenced the Protocol in deliberations by the Quartet on the Middle East and other multilateral bodies.

Category:1997 treaties Category:Israeli–Palestinian peace process Category:Hebron