The establishment of the Palestinian Authority post

Dr. Josef Wallach	[ Hebrew Website ]

Closing Israeli post offices as part of Oslo -B- agreement

Introduction

Israel post began operating in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967 , shortly after the Six Day War . As part of the return to normal civilian life . Post offices were opened in different localities, big towns first , and than gradually expanded service in smaller places As part of the agreement to expand the size of the Pal. Auth. Territory , the number of post offices expanded too . Israel closed the post offices under its control, and handed over the responsibility to the Palestinians . This section will present the activities taken by Israel while evacuating the postal units under Oslo -B- agreement, namely the West Bank .

OSLO -B-

The Oslo -B- agreement , which was to establish the 2nd phase of the Pal. Auth. status , was gradually formulated during 1995 . This part of the agreement transferred most Arabic localities in the West Bank to the responsibility of the Pal. Auth. . In the process , many crises happened , which often put in doubt the ability to close an agreement between the two sides . By this time the P.A. was able to give adequate postal services to the population under its control . In the intervening period since signing the Oslo -A- agreement in May.1994 , accumalated knowledge and experience required , stamps and postmarks , procedures were prepared and thus enabled transfer of the postal services in orderly manner, at the end of the Israeli reign .

Closing Israeli offices in the West Bank

On 31.Oct.1995, following the signing of the Oslo -B- agreement , overlapping meeting was held between members of the P.A. post and Israeli officials . At this meeting it was agreed that the formal transfer of responsibility for post offices in the West Bank , will be on Sunday 5th of November.1995 at 14.00 It was also agreed that Israel postal activities will end on Thursday 2.Nov.1995 , in order to allow enough time to : collect postmarks , , record inventory transferred , preparation of balance sheets etc.
( see details of summary in attached document ) [Link 1]

"LAST DAY" cancellations of collectors covers

Establishing the "Last Day" term

Uncertainty about the date of entry into force of the Agreement prevented advanced 'notice to the public' of the "Last Day" in the West Bank . Israel postal authority issued a notice in July 1995 in which it offered collectors to send their franked envelopes IN ADVANCE to the superviser on postal affairs in Judea and Samaria without giving any specific date for cancellation

( see details of summary in attached document ) [Link 2]

A month later, in late Aug.1995 , Israel issued additional public notice in which it updated the list of postmarks which will be withdrawn , with the entry of the Oslo -B- agreement . Even at that time the "Last Day" date was not yet determined .

( click to read orig. document ) [Link 3]

"LAST DAY" cancellations

Part of the postmarks which where collected from the post offices in the west bank, were not in shape for last day cancellations (metal postmarks) Thus the philatelic services prepared another set of solid rubber replicas, which will be referred as rubber postmark

Link to details of the original metal postmarks [Link 4]

Link to details of the rubber replicas postmarks [Link 5]