January 27, 2001
Weeklong discussions between Israeli and Palestinian leaders conclude in the Egyptian resort town of Taba. Both sides agree that significant progress has been made toward a final agreement during the substantive talks, focusing on four major themes: refugees, security, borders and Jerusalem.
A joint statement declares: “The Taba talks conclude an extensive phase in the Israeli-Palestinian permanent status negotiations with the sense of having succeeded in rebuilding trust between the sides and with the notion that they were never closer in reaching an agreement between them than today. We leave Taba in a spirit of hope and mutual achievement acknowledging that the foundations have been laid both in reestablishing mutual confidence and having progresses in a substantive engagement on all core issues.”
The talks were based on the Clinton Parameters, which the president laid down in the final days of his administration. They took place at the height of the Second Intifada, which began in September 2000, and followed the failure negotiations among Ehud Barak, Yasser and Bill Clinton at Camp David in July 2000. The Taba talks were a last-ditch effort by Barak to reach an agreement with the Palestinians before his uphill re-election campaign.
But any progress in Taba does not carry enough weight with the Israeli public. On February 6, 2001, Ariel Sharon defeats Barak in a landslide direct election for prime minister. Sharon says upon taking office that he will be bound only by signed agreements and not by what was discussed at either Camp David or Taba. He says he will not resume negotiations from the point at which they were left at Taba.
