i24News reports that the Israeli State Archives have authorized, for the first time, the publication of the minutes of the historic government meeting that approved the Oslo Accords 30 years ago, then called the "Draft Declaration of Principles with the Palestinians." 

The transcript is classified as "top secret" and is spread over some 80 pages. Publication of certain parts of the transcript remains forbidden for reasons of state security, and may not take place for another 20 to 60 years. 

The minutes reveal that of the 18 members of the government at the time, 16 voted in favor of approving the Oslo Accords and two abstained: Aryeh Deri and Shimon Shetrit.

At the start of the cabinet meeting, the late prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, architect of the accords, declared: "This is not a simple agreement. Every autonomy agreement is complex because of the circumstances, not in its formulation, but in the way it is translated on the ground, in a complicated reality... It also includes unsympathetic formulations. But we need to see all the different components in a much more global vision."

Next, the question of Hamas's strengthening in the Arab world as well as among Palestinians is addressed in the protocols — "For me, this is a test of the ability of the pro-peace elements who support Ashaf to deal with Hamas," said Rabin. "Will it go in this direction or in others? I think it will go mainly in that direction, but there's no certainty there. Only the Israeli army exists, and Gaza is being closed off in all directions."

In response, former Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, clearly more enthusiastic, pointed out: "There is an explicit commitment with the signing of the Declaration of Principles, according to which Arafat will make an announcement on the cessation of terrorism."

He echoed MP Fouad Ben Eliezer's assertion that if the King of Jordan has succeeded in defeating Hamas, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) will be able to do the same. Shimon Peres added, "I think so too, so give him weapons, give him the police. Look at the absurd situation we're in: you take the police from the PLO, while leaving weapons to Hamas... Let's imagine that Asaf Yalim [head of Hamas] disappears, who are we going to talk to? Who are we going to negotiate with?"

Peres then asserted that evacuation of the settlements should be avoided. "It is agreed that the settlements will remain as they are, even in the Gaza Strip (...) no settlement will be destroyed," he said.

Source - i24News/X - Image - Reuters