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Good morning. During the course of one week, the
situation in the Middle East has deteriorated dramatically. Last
Wednesday, my Special Envoy, Anthony Zinni, reported to me that we
were on the verge of a cease-fire agreement that would have spared
Palestinian and Israeli lives.
That hope fell away when a terrorist attacked a group of
innocent people in a Netanya hotel, killing many men and women in
what is a mounting toll of terror.
In the days since, the world has watched with growing concern
the horror of bombings and burials and the stark picture of tanks
in the street. Across the world, people are grieving for Israelis
and Palestinians who have lost their lives.
When an 18-year-old Palestinian girl is induced to blow herself
up, and in the process kills a 17-year-old Israeli girl, the
future, itself, is dying -- the future of the Palestinian people
and the future of the Israeli people. We mourn the dead, and we
mourn the damage done to the hope of peace, the hope of Israel's
and the Israelis' desire for a Jewish state at peace with its
neighbors; the hope of the Palestinian people to build their own
independent state.
Terror must be stopped. No nation can negotiate with
terrorists. For there is no way to make peace with those whose
only goal is death.
This could be a hopeful moment in the Middle East. The proposal
of Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, supported by the Arab
League, has put a number of countries in the Arab world closer
than ever to recognizing Israel's right to exist. The United
States is on record supporting the legitimate aspirations of the
Palestinian people for a Palestinian state.
Israel has recognized the goal of a Palestinian state. The
outlines of a just settlement are clear: two states, Israel and
Palestine, living side by side, in peace and security.
This can be a time for hope. But it calls for leadership, not
for terror. Since September the 11th, I've delivered this message:
everyone must choose; you're either with the civilized world, or
you're with the terrorists. All in the Middle East also must
choose and must move decisively in word and deed against terrorist
acts.
The Chairman of the Palestinian Authority has not consistently
opposed or confronted terrorists. At Oslo and elsewhere, Chairman
Arafat renounced terror as an instrument of his cause, and he
agreed to control it. He's not done so.
The situation in which he finds himself today is largely of his
own making. He's missed his opportunities, and thereby betrayed
the hopes of the people he's supposed to lead. Given his failure,
the Israeli government feels it must strike at terrorist networks
that are killing its citizens.
Yet, Israel must understand that its response to these recent
attacks is only a temporary measure. All parties have their own
responsibilities. And all parties owe it to their own people to
act.
We all know today's situation runs the risk of aggravating
long-term bitterness and undermining relationships that are
critical to any hope of peace. I call on the Palestinian people,
the Palestinian Authority and our friends in the Arab world to
join us in delivering a clear message to terrorists: blowing
yourself up does not help the Palestinian cause. To the contrary,
suicide bombing missions could well blow up the best and only hope
for a Palestinian state.
All states must keep their promise, made in a vote in the
United Nations to actively oppose terror in all its forms. No
nation can pick and choose its terrorist friends. I call on the
Palestinian Authority and all governments in the region to do
everything in their power to stop terrorist activities, to disrupt
terrorist financing, and to stop inciting violence by glorifying
terror in state-owned media, or telling suicide bombers they are
martyrs. They're not martyrs. They're murderers. And they
undermine the cause of the Palestinian people.
Those governments, like Iraq, that reward parents for the
sacrifice of their children are guilty of soliciting murder of the
worst kind. All who care about the Palestinian people should join
in condemning and acting against groups like Al-Aqsa, Hezbollah,
Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and all groups which opposed the peace
process and seek the destruction of Israel.
The recent Arab League support of Crown Prince Abdullah's
initiative for peace is promising, is hopeful, because it
acknowledges Israel's right to exist. And it raises the hope of
sustained, constructive Arab involvement in the search for peace.
This builds on a tradition of visionary leadership, begun by
President Sadat and King Hussein, and carried forward by President
Mubarak and King Abdullah.
Now, other Arab states must rise to this occasion and accept
Israel as a nation and as a neighbor. Peace with Israel is the
only avenue to prosperity and success for a new Palestinian state.
The Palestinian people deserve peace and an opportunity to better
their lives. They need their closest neighbor, Israel, to be an
economic partner, not a mortal enemy. They deserve a government
that respects human rights and a government that focuses on their
needs -- education and health care -- rather than feeding their
resentments.
It is not enough for Arab nations to defend the Palestinian
cause. They must truly help the Palestinian people by seeking
peace and fighting terror and promoting development.
Israel faces hard choices of its own. Its government has
supported the creation of a Palestinian state that is not a haven
for terrorism. Yet, Israel also must recognize that such a state
needs to be politically and economically viable.
Consistent with the Mitchell plan, Israeli settlement activity
in occupied territories must stop. And the occupation must end
through withdrawal to secure and recognize boundaries consistent
with United Nations Resolutions 242 and 338. Ultimately, this
approach should be the basis of agreements between Israel and
Syria and Israel and Lebanon.
Israel should also show a respect, a respect for and concern
about the dignity of the Palestinian people who are and will be
their neighbors. It is crucial to distinguish between the
terrorists and ordinary Palestinians seeking to provide for their
own families.
The Israeli government should be compassionate at checkpoints
and border crossings, sparing innocent Palestinians daily
humiliation. Israel should take immediate action to ease closures
and allow peaceful people to go back to work.
Israel is facing a terrible and serious challenge. For seven
days, it has acted to root out terrorist nests. America recognizes
Israel's right to defend itself from terror. Yet, to lay the
foundations of future peace, I ask Israel to halt incursions into
Palestinian-controlled areas and begin the withdrawal from those
cities it has recently occupied.
I speak as a committed friend of Israel. I speak out of a
concern for its long-term security, a security that will come with
a genuine peace. As Israel steps back, responsible Palestinian
leaders and Israel's Arab neighbors must step forward and show the
world that they are truly on the side of peace. The choice and the
burden will be theirs.
The world expects an immediate cease-fire, immediate resumption
of security cooperation with Israel against terrorism. An
immediate order to crack down on terrorist networks. I expect
better leadership, and I expect results.
These are the elements of peace in the Middle East. And now, we
must build the road to those goals. Decades of bitter experience
teach a clear lesson: progress is impossible when nations
emphasize their grievances and ignore their opportunities. Storms
of violence cannot go on. Enough is enough.
And to those who would try to use the current crisis as an
opportunity to widen the conflict, stay out. Iran's arms shipments
and support for terror fuel the fire of conflict in the Middle
East. And it must stop. Syria has spoken out against al Qaeda. We
expect it to act against Hamas and Hezbollah, as well. It's time
for Iran to focus on meeting its own people's aspirations for
freedom and for Syria to decide which side of the war against
terror it is on.
The world finds itself at a critical moment. This is a conflict
that can widen or an opportunity we can seize. And so I've decided
to send Secretary of State Powell to the region next week to seek
broad international support for the vision I've outlined today. As
a step in this process, he will work to implement United Nations
Resolution 1402, an immediate and meaningful cease-fire, an end to
terror and violence and incitement; withdrawal of Israeli troops
from Palestinian cities, including Ramallah; implementation of the
already agreed upon Tenet and Mitchell plans, which will lead to a
political settlement.
I have no illusions. We have no illusions about the difficulty
of the issues that lie ahead. Yet, our nation's resolve is strong.
America is committed to ending this conflict and beginning an era
of peace.
We know this is possible, because in our lifetimes we have seen
an end to conflicts that no one thought could end. We've seen
fierce enemies let go of long histories of strife and anger.
America itself counts former adversaries as trusted friends:
Germany and Japan and now Russia.
Conflict is not inevitable. Distrust need not be permanent.
Peace is possible when we break free of old patterns and habits of
hatred. The violence and grief that troubled the Holy Land have
been among the great tragedies of our time. The Middle East has
often been left behind in the political and economic advancement
of the world. That is the history of the region. But it need not
and must not be its fate.
The Middle East could write a new story of trade and
development and democracy. And we stand ready to help. Yet, this
progress can only come in an atmosphere of peace. And the United
States will work for all the children of Abraham to know the
benefits of peace.
Thank you very much.
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