Statement on the Middle East
(June 24, 2002)
For too long, the citizens of the Middle East have
lived in the midst of death and fear. The hatred of a few holds the
hopes of many hostage. The forces of extremism and terror are attempting
to kill progress and peace by killing the innocent, and this casts a
dark shadow over an entire region. For the sake of all humanity, things
must change in the Middle East.
It is untenable for Israeli citizens to live in terror.
It is untenable for Palestinians to live in squalor and occupation.
And the current situation offers no prospect that life will improve.
Israeli citizens will continue to be victimized by terrorists, and so
Israel will continue to defend herself. And the situation of the Palestinian
people will grow more and more miserable.
My vision is two states, living side by side in peace
and security. There is simply no way to achieve that peace until all
parties fight terror. Yet, at this critical moment, if all parties will
break with the past and set out on a new path, we can overcome the darkness
with the light of hope. Peace requires a new and different Palestinian
leadership, so that a Palestinian state can be born.
I call on the Palestinian people to elect new leaders,
leaders not compromised by terror. I call upon them to build a practicing
democracy, based on tolerance and liberty. If the Palestinian people
actively pursue these goals, America and the world will actively support
their efforts. If the Palestinian people meet these goals, they will
be able to reach agreement with Israel and Egypt and Jordan on security
and other arrangements for independence.
And when the Palestinian people have new leaders, new
institutions, and new security arrangements with their neighbors, the
United States of America will support the creation of a Palestinian
state whose borders and certain aspects of its sovereignty will be provisional
until resolved as part of a final settlement in the Middle East.
In the work ahead, we all have responsibilities. The
Palestinian people are gifted and capable, and I am confident they can
achieve a new birth for their nation. A Palestinian state will never
be created by terror. It will be built through reform, and reform must
be more than cosmetic change or a veiled attempt to preserve the status
quo. True reform will require entirely new political and economic institutions,
based on democracy, market economics, and action against terrorism.
Today, the elected Palestinian legislature has no authority,
and power is concentrated in the hands of an unaccountable few. A Palestinian
state can only serve its citizens with a new constitution which separates
the powers of government. The Palestinian Parliament should have the
full authority of a legislative body. Local officials and government
ministers need authority of their own and the independence to govern
effectively.
The United States, along with the European Union and
Arab states, will work with Palestinian leaders to create a new constitutional
framework and a working democracy for the Palestinian people. And the
United States, along with others in the international community, will
help the Palestinians organize and monitor fair, multiparty local elections
by the end of the year, with national elections to follow.
Today, the Palestinian people live in economic stagnation,
made worse by official corruption. A Palestinian state will require
a vibrant economy, where honest enterprise is encouraged by honest government.
The United States, the international donor community,
and the World Bank stand ready to work with Palestinians on a major
project of economic reform and development. The United States, the EU,
the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund are willing to oversee
reforms in Palestinian finances, encouraging transparency and independent
auditing. And the United States, along with our partners in the developed
world, will increase our humanitarian assistance to relieve Palestinian
suffering.
Today, the Palestinian people lack effective courts
of law and have no means to defend and vindicate their rights. A Palestinian
state will require a system of reliable justice to punish those who
prey on the innocent.
The United States and members of the international
community stand ready to work with Palestinian leaders to establish
finance--establish, finance, and monitor a truly independent judiciary.
Today, Palestinian authorities are encouraging, not
opposing, terrorism. This is unacceptable. And the United States will
not support the establishment of a Palestinian state until its leaders
engage in a sustained fight against the terrorists and dismantle their
infrastructure. This will require an externally supervised effort to
rebuild and reform the Palestinian security services. The security system
must have clear lines of authority and accountability and a unified
chain of command.
America is pursuing this reform, along with key regional
states. The world is prepared to help.
Yet ultimately, these steps toward statehood depend
on the Palestinian people and their leaders. If they energetically take
the path of reform, the rewards can come quickly. If Palestinians embrace
democracy, confront corruption, and firmly reject terror, they can count
on American support for the creation of a provisional state of Palestine.
With a dedicated effort, this state could rise rapidly, as it comes
to terms with Israel, Egypt, and Jordan on practical issues such as
security. The final borders, the capital, and other aspects of this
state's sovereignty will be negotiated between the parties as part of
a final settlement. Arab states have offered their help in this process,
and their help is needed.
I've said in the past that nations are either with
us or against us in the war on terror. To be counted on the side of
peace, nations must act. Every leader actually committed to peace will
end incitement to violence in official media and publicly denounce homicide
bombings. Every nation actually committed to peace will stop the flow
of money, equipment, and recruits to terrorist groups seeking the destruction
of Israel, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah. Every nation
actually committed to peace must block the shipment of Iranian supplies
to these groups and oppose regimes that promote terror, like Iraq. And
Syria must choose the right side in the war on terror by closing terrorist
camps and expelling terrorist organizations.
Leaders who want to be included in the peace process
must show by their deeds an undivided support for peace. And as we move
toward a peaceful solution, Arab states will be expected to build closer
ties of diplomacy and commerce with Israel, leading to full normalization
of relations between Israel and the entire Arab world.
Israel also has a large stake in the success of a democratic
Palestine. Permanent occupation threatens Israel's identity and democracy.
A stable, peaceful Palestinian state is necessary to achieve the security
that Israel longs for. So I challenge Israel to take concrete steps
to support the emergence of a viable, credible Palestinian state.
As we make progress towards security, Israel forces
need to withdraw fully to positions they held prior to September 28,
2000. And consistent with the recommendations of the Mitchell committee,
Israeli settlement activity in the occupied territories must stop.
The Palestinian economy must be allowed to develop.
As violence subsides, freedom of movement should be restored, permitting
innocent Palestinians to resume work and normal life. Palestinian legislators
and officials, humanitarian and international workers must be allowed
to go about the business of building a better future. And Israel should
release frozen Palestinian revenues into honest, accountable hands.
I've asked Secretary Powell to work intensively with
Middle Eastern and international leaders to realize the vision of a
Palestinian state, focusing them on a comprehensive plan to support
Palestinian reform and institution-building.
Ultimately, Israelis and Palestinians must address
the core issues that divide them if there is to be a real peace, resolving
all claims and ending the conflict between them. This means that the
Israeli occupation that began in 1967 will be ended through a settlement
negotiated between the parties, based on U.N. Resolutions 242 and 338,
with Israeli withdrawal to secure and recognized borders.
We must also resolve questions concerning Jerusalem,
the plight and future of Palestinian refugees, and a final peace between
Israel and Lebanon, and Israel and a Syria that supports peace and fights
terror.
All who are familiar with the history of the Middle
East realize that there may be setbacks in this process. Trained and
determined killers, as we have seen, want to stop it. Yet the Egyptian
and Jordanian peace treaties with Israel remind us that with determined
and responsible leadership, progress can come quickly.
As new Palestinian institutions and new leaders emerge,
demonstrating real performance on security and reform, I expect Israel
to respond and work toward a final status agreement. With intensive
effort by all, this agreement could be reached within 3 years from now.
And I and my country will actively lead toward that goal.
I can understand the deep anger and anguish of the
Israeli people. You've lived too long with fear and funerals, having
to avoid markets and public transportation, and forced to put armed
guards in kindergarten classrooms. The Palestinian Authority has rejected
your offered hand and trafficked with terrorists. You have a right to
a normal life. You have a right to security, and I deeply believe that
you need a reformed, responsible Palestinian partner to achieve that
security.
I can understand the deep anger and despair of the
Palestinian people. For decades you've been treated as pawns in the
Middle East conflict. Your interests have been held hostage to a comprehensive
peace agreement that never seems to come, as your lives get worse year
by year. You deserve democracy and the rule of law. You deserve an open
society and a thriving economy. You deserve a life of hope for your
children. An end to occupation and a peaceful, democratic Palestinian
state may seem distant, but America and our partners throughout the
world stand ready to help--help you make them possible as soon as possible.
If liberty can blossom in the rocky soil of the West
Bank and Gaza, it will inspire millions of men and women around the
globe who are equally weary of poverty and oppression, equally entitled
to the benefits of democratic government.
I have a hope for the people of Muslim countries. Your
commitments to morality and learning and tolerance led to great historical
achievements, and those values are alive in the Islamic world today.
You have a rich culture, and you share the aspirations of men and women
in every culture. Prosperity and freedom and dignity are not just American
hopes or Western hopes. They are universal, human hopes. And even in
the violence and turmoil of the Middle East, America believes those
hopes have the power to transform lives and nations.
This moment is both an opportunity and a test for all
parties in the Middle East, an opportunity to lay the foundations for
future peace, a test to show who is serious about peace and who is not.
The choice here is stark and simple. The Bible says, "I have set
before you life and death . . . therefore choose life." The time
has arrived for everyone in this conflict to choose peace and hope and
life.
Thank you very much.
Sources: Public Papers of the President |