Speech to Congress on the Cessation of the Persian
Gulf Conflict
(March 6, 1991)
Excerpt from speech:
And third, we must work to create new opportunities
for peace and stability in the Middle East. On the night I announced
Operation Desert Storm, I expressed my hope that out of the horrors
of war might come new momentum for peace. We've learned in the modern
age geography cannot guarantee security, and security does not come
from military power alone.
All of us know the depth of bitterness that has made
the dispute between Israel and its neighbors so painful and intractable.
Yet, in the conflict just concluded, Israel and many of the Arab States
have for the first time found themselves confronting the same aggressor.
By now, it should be plain to all parties that peacemaking in the Middle
East requires compromise. At the same time, peace brings real benefits
to everyone. We must do all that we can to close the gap between Israel
and the Arab States -- and between Israelis and Palestinians. The tactics
of terror lead absolutely nowhere. There can be no substitute for diplomacy.
A comprehensive peace must be grounded in United Nations
Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 and the principle of territory
for peace. This principle must be elaborated to provide for Israel's
security and recognition and at the same time for legitimate Palestinian
political rights. Anything else would fail the twin test of fairness
and security. The time has come to put an end to Arab-Israeli conflict.
The war with Iraq is over. The quest for solutions
to the problems in Lebanon, in the Arab-Israeli dispute, and in the
Gulf must go forward with new vigor and determination. And I guarantee
you: No one will work harder for a stable peace in the region than we
will.
Sources: Public Papers of the President |