[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
[June 24, 2002]
[Pages 1059-1062]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks 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
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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.
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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,
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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.
Note: The President spoke at 3:47 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
House.