Press Conference With Israeli Prime
Minister Shimon Peres
(September 15, 1986)
The President. Well, it has been a great pleasure for
me to welcome, again, Shimon Peres to the White House. He's a valued
friend, a statesman and a spokesman for peace, and a leader of the Government
of Israel, a country with whom the United States has deep and special
ties. Our meeting today reflected the close dialog that Israel and the
United States enjoy as friends and partners. We discussed our broad
bilateral agenda as well as regional and international issues.
Item number one was our commitment to continuing the
search for a negotiated peace between Israel and all of its Arab neighbors.
We noted favorable trends in the Middle East, not just the longing for
peace by the Israeli and Arab peoples but constructive actions taken
by leaders in the region to breathe new life into the peace process.
No one has done more than Prime Minister Peres to that end. His vision,
his statesmanship, and his tenacity are greatly appreciated here.
In this connection, we have just witnessed an auspicious
event: the meeting between Prime Minister Peres and President Mubarak
of Egypt following successful negotiations on a formula for resolving
the Taba dispute. Egypt and Israel have once again demonstrated that
Arab-Israeli differences can best be resolved through direct negotiations.
We're also heartened by the continued efforts of King Hussein of Jordan
as well as the historic meeting between King Hassan of Morocco and Prime
Minister Peres. There is reason for optimism and hope. Prime Minister
Peres and I have agreed that a steady, determined effort is needed by
all if the remaining obstacles to direct negotiations are to be surmounted.
So, our two governments today reiterate our pledge to keep pushing toward
a lasting peace.
In our discussions we also reviewed many aspects of
the close and mutually beneficial relations between our countries, including
the need to maintain a strong and secure Israel. To this end, not only
is military strength essential but also a vigorous, growing Israeli
economy. Prime Minister Peres and his colleagues in Israel's national
unity government have achieved remarkable success in stabilizing their
economy. They are now turning their attention to growth, with our full
encouragement and support.
I emphasized to Prime Minister Peres that the United
States Government remains deeply concerned about the plight of Soviet
Jewry and that this subject will continue to be an important part of
our dialog with the Soviet Union. We also discussed the scourge of terrorism
and our revulsion over the recent murder of the innocent in Istanbul
and Karachi. The lives of Jews, Moslems, Hindus, and Christians were
taken in this attack on civilization. These were acts of horror and
outrage.
Israelis and Americans can be proud of the relationship
between our two countries. The common values and interests that bring
us together sustain us both, and the many levels of cooperation between
us provide a rich substance to our ties. We look forward to building
on the good will and trust so evident between our governments and peoples.
And so, again, I say it's been a pleasure having Prime Minister Peres
here.
The Prime Minister. Mr. President, it is with satisfaction
that I join you at a conclusion of yet another most productive meeting
where your dedication to peace in the Middle East and your long-recognized
friendship to the people of Israel—may I say, to the Jewish people
all over the world—found one small, concrete expression.
When we met 2 years ago, we laid out policies and strategies
for peace, security, and economic development. These were mostly accomplished,
much, due to your friendship and determination. Today we look at the
future. I am certain that what we have planned will be implemented with
equal imagination, dedication, and resolve.
On the peace front, we have prepared the ground for
a new drive. The end of the war in Lebanon, the beginning of what President
Mubarak termed a new era in the Israeli-Egyptian relations, a policy
that keeps doors open for coexistence and peaceful relations on the
West Bank and Gaza, the search for a Jordanian-Palestinian platform
for progress—all pave the ground for the next phase. There is
always a difference between uprooting a tree and making a forest grow.
Confrontation is by definition a single event. Peacemaking is a process
which requires constant patience, cultivation. I am certain that together
we can sail to new shores of understanding in pacifying our region.
The good offices of the United States has demonstrated its effectiveness
by demonstrating restraint in appearance and dedication in content.
The next step should be directed toward negotiation
between the parties concerned. The international community can support
such negotiations, not substitute it. We are for, clearly, direct negotiation
on a bilateral ground between each of the parties concerned. And international
support can provide the parties with an opportunity of an opening occasion,
but negotiations should remain between the parties concerned. For the
international participation, we shall accept only parties that respect
peace and human rights, and we shall not compromise on it. Small as
we may be, we are not going to depart from conviction and principles
that should be respected by all, small and large at the same time.
Again, I would like to thank you for the depth of your
understanding, for the empathy, enjoying the basic rights, the basic
rights of a people under your leadership, Mr. President. The free world
has made real progress toward democracy, toward freedom, toward security,
and toward prosperity . And all of us, wherever we may be, have enjoyed
this very imaginative and determined leadership. I would like to thank
you for a wind of hope and optimism that you have added to the life
of the free world and to our own country and our own people. Thank you
very much.
Sources: Public Papers of the President |