Negotiators at the Camp David peace talks hammered out 80 percent of an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, according to Israel's internal security minister, Shlomo Ben Ami.
"Eighty percent of the agreement has been reached. Nothing has been signed, but 80 percent of the content is in place," Ben Ami said in an interview published Friday in the Spanish newspaper Vanguardia.
Ben Ami, who was Israel's chief negotiator at the Camp David talks, also said that a solution acceptable to both parties had to be sought over sovereignty in Jerusalem.
"Israel's salvation is in peace ... but not at any price," he said.
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat would not unilaterally proclaim an independent state on September 13th, despite his threat to do so, as he was afraid of losing out, Ben Ami added.
"His interest is to do it with the consensus of the international community, and most of all with the consensus of Israel," he said.
Ben Ami also said that an accord would have to be reached before US President Bill Clinton left office on January 20th, 2001.
"If we lose Clinton, it will be very difficult. Barak has spoken to Bush and Gore a number of times, and felt that they would not become involved in the same way," he said -- BARCELONA, Spain (AFP)
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