THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF PRIME MINISTER YITZHAK RABIN'S ADDRESS TO THE KNESSET ON THE WASHINGTON DECLARATION
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1994:
Mr. President,
Mr. Speaker,
Members of Knesset,
Before beginning my address, I want to join in the Knesset Speaker's
praise for the two missions carried out by the IDF, in the name of the
State of Israel: the mission of sharing in the fate of the Jewish
community which was attacked in Argentina, through the excellent rescue
unit established by the IDF; and the humanitarian mission to assist the
Rwandan refugees in Zaire with the field hospital, whose doctors,
medical team and soldiers all volunteered for this mission. This is an
exceptional expression of the unique character of the State of Israel, its
sharing in the fate of each Jew and each Jewish community everywhere. It
is performing this humanitarian mission for the sake of people, refugees,
in the midst of distress and illness. There is nothing that better
expresses the character and uniqueness of the State of Israel. Thank you
to all those involved in these missions, and to all those party to this
effort.
We have come today to inform the Members of Knesset, the citizens of the
State of Israel and the entire Jewish people that the state of war between
the State of Israel and the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan has come to an
end.
We have come today to tell the Members of Knesset and the citizens of the
State of Israel that, last week in Washington, we took a significant step
toward peace.
Members of Knesset,
Today, the Government of Israel places on your table with satisfaction
and great pride the Washington Declaration, signed in the capital of
the United States on 17 Av 5754, July 25, 1994. The four pages of paper
placed before the Knesset today are the essence of the dream of peace
between Israel and Jordan which, we all believe and hope, will become a
full-fledged peace treaty.
Members of Knesset,
Over the decades, all prime ministers of Israel have stood at this podium.
From this podium, all prime ministers of Israel have addressed leaders of
Arab states and called upon them to end the state of war, and to bring
peace to the peoples of the Middle East. These calls by the prime
ministers of Israel have been regularly sometimes even tirelessly and
monotonously repeated; over the years, they became routine cliches to
which nobody paid attention because Cairo was silent, Amman did not
respond, Damascus remained deaf. Our hand outstretched for peace was
forced to pull the trigger, in a war to preserve our lives here.
The first prime minister to stand on this podium, and to have the
privilege of seeing his calls for peace answered, was Menachem Begin.
Together with the late President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat, he weaved the
first threads of peace between Israel and the largest Arab state: Egypt.
The belief that other Arab states would follow in the footsteps of Egypt
was proved false, and the voice of Israel remained alone in the
wilderness. We have remained isolated two countries, one peace.
On the day that the current Government was presented before the Knesset, I
again called on Arab states and the Palestinians to end the Arab-Israeli
conflict and to inaugurate a new page in the history of our peoples. To
the Palestinians who have not known even one day of freedom or
happiness in their lives we then offered autonomy, with its advantages
and limitations. We called on the King of Jordan, and on the Presidents of
Syria and Lebanon, to come to this podium and to talk peace.
The Palestinians accepted this call and we have now completed
implementation of the "Gaza-Jericho first" agreement, and we are
continuing negotiations with them. Following the Palestinians, King
Hussein is now extending a hand in peace and it would be accurate to
conclude that the Washington Declaration would not have been achieved were
it not for the accord with the Palestinians.
Members of Knesset,
The Jewish people and, later, the State of Israel have for generations
had a very special and very complex link with the Hashemite family and
the Kingdom of Jordan, which was born out of the problem of the Land of
Israel. Love and animosity have been intertwined in this relationship
since we sought an understanding with the Hashemite house, after World War
I, at the meeting between Chaim Weizmann and Emir Faisal.
Since then, much water has flowed in the Jordan River, and also much
blood. Jordan participated in wars and hostile actions against us. The
Jordanians have inflicted upon us painful physical and mental wounds:
Jerusalem was divided and a wall was erected in the middle of the city;
Jews were denied access to and prevented from praying at the Wailing Wall,
the last remnant of the Temple; Gush Etzion was laid waste; classes were
halted at the university on Mount Scopus, which we ascended in armored
convoys; snipers fired through the windows of homes on the municipal
border; infiltrators penetrated Israeli towns and settlements along the
Jerusalem corridor; they stole and they murdered. In Jerusalem, and in
Amman as well, families wept over the deaths of their loved ones. Only
during the Six-Day War did IDF soldiers put an end to Israel's agonies.
Members of Knesset,
It is an open secret that, alongside the hostile acts, we have maintained
unique relations with the Hashemite family, for which King Abdallah the
patriarch paid with his life. Despite the risks, despite the
difficulties, we have maintained these special ties even during the
most difficult hours for the State of Israel, and for Jordan. Very little
has been disclosed about these ties, for which we owe a debt of thanks to
those who first wove the thread of ties with the Hashemite house even
before the creation of the State: from Haim Arlozorov, Moshe Sharett, Ezra
Danin, Aharon Haim Hacohen, Golda Meir, Reuven Shiloah and Moshe Dayan to
Ya'acov Herzog, Eliyahu Sasson, Levi Eshkol and Yigal Allon. And many
others who live with us today, to whom we accord great credit.
Members of Knesset,
During the tenure of the previous Government, headed by Yitzhak Shamir,
the Madrid process was begun in October 1991. Since then, we have known
two important milestones in our relations with Jordan:
One the formal and public ratification of the agenda between Israel and
Jordan in September 1993; and second the public and first-of-its-kind
meeting between Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, Prince Hassan and President
Clinton, at the White House in October 1993. During this meeting, it was
decided to create the Trilateral Economic Committee between the three
countries.
Over time, links were enhanced and joint discussions were held with King
Hussein and members of his court and government, until we arrived at the
occasion of the signing of the Washington Declaration in public in
Washington last week.
Members of Knesset,
The full text of the Declaration has been placed before you. It contains
no secret annexes; it has no supplements. You see the entire document.
What is in the Washington Declaration?
On the one hand, the Washington Declaration contains new components which
will form the foundation of a full peace treaty when signed. On the
other hand, it contains components from the documents that have been
concluded with Jordan thus far, including the Common Agenda signed in
Washington. Additional elements are derived from the agreements which
resulted from the bilateral negotiations conducted in Washington and at
the Dead Sea Hotel in Jordan on July 20, which included the joint
declaration signed by Jordanian prime minister, the Israeli foreign
minister and the US Secretary of State.
The Washington Declaration's central theme is the termination of the state
of belligerency. The termination of the state of belligerency is an
interim stage on the road to the signing of a full peace treaty.
Mr. Speaker,
Members of Knesset,
The English expression which appears in the Washington Declaration is the
"end of the state of belligerency." Since the term "end of the state of
war" appears in the peace treaty with Egypt and is clear to all, we
proposed to the Jordanians that we use this phrase. But they preferred to
cautiously adhere to the language of ending the "state of belligerency".
In an oral message from King Hussein, we were told that, for Jordan's
part, the meaning was identical, and this would be given public
expression. Indeed, the King in his statements at the White House and
before Congress said explicitly, and I am quoting from his July 25
speech at the White House: "The term used in international documents as
they affected us so far is the state of belligerency and the end of the
state of belligerency. I think, both in Arabic and in Hebrew, our people
do not have such a term. But shat we have accomplished and what we are
committed to is the end of the state of war between Jordan and Israel."
Therefore, there is nothing equivocal here, but only the clearest possible
message the state of war between Israel and Jordan has ended.
I ask to direct your attention to the fact that the issue of a peace
treaty finds clear expression in the document. Indeed, the Jordanians have
always spoken about a comprehensive peace, but in the Washington
Declaration it says explicitly that the objective is the signing of a
peace treaty between Jordan and Israel.
Mr. Speaker,
Members of Knesset,
It is natural that the paragraph relating to the places in Jerusalem which
are holy to Muslims has aroused great interest.
With your permission, I would like to turn the wheel back a bit, and quote
from statements I made to you on the day that I presented the Government:
"This Government, like all of its predecessors, believes there is no
disagreement in this House concerning Jerusalem as the eternal capital of
Israel. United Jerusalem has been, and will forever be, the capital of the
Jewish people, under Israeli sovereignty, a focus of the dreams and
longings of every Jew. The Government is firm in its resolve that
Jerusalem will not be open to negotiation. The coming years will also be
marked by the extension of construction in Greater Jerusalem. All Jews,
religious and secular, have vowed: 'If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, may my
right hand wither.' This vow unites us all."
Then, I also said: "The Government will safeguard freedom of worship for
the followers of all religions and all communities in Jerusalem. It will
rigorously maintain free access to the holy places for all sects and
ensure the conduct of a normal and pleasant life for those who visit and
reside in the city."
The Jerusalem paragraph in the Washington Declaration has, in our opinion,
caused much ado about nothing. I suggest that this paragraph be read
again. It says: "Israel" I emphasize, Israel "respects the present
special role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in Muslim holy shrines in
Jerusalem. When negotiations on the permanent status will take place,
Israel will give high priority to the Jordanian historic role in these
shrines. In addition, the two sides have agreed to act together to promote
interfaith relations among the three monotheistic faiths."
What can be learned from these statements?
The purpose of this paragraph is to capture an existing situation in which
the Jordanians, even during the 27 years since the Six-Day War under
all Israeli governments have indeed played a role in the running of the
Muslim holy places in Jerusalem. The paragraph promises that, when
negotiations are conducted for the permanent arrangement, Israel will give
and it will be Israel that gives a high preference to this role of
the Jordanians.
Once again, I would like to emphasize that these statements contain
nothing that suggests any concessions relating to Jerusalem's affairs, or
regarding Israel's status in the city or in the places holy to the Jews.
When the time comes and all the holy places are discussed within the
permanent solution the comprehensive one, if you will we will
certainly consult with Jewish religious authorities, the Ministry of
Religious Affairs and the Chief Rabbinate.
Mr. Speaker,
Members of Knesset,
Apart from the positive declarations and the commitments made vis-a-vis
the continuation of negotiations on the various matters, until its
culmination in a peace agreement, the Washington Declaration contains a
number of agreements on how to implement practical steps for realizing the
new situation.
Negotiations were held already yesterday in the Arava concerning telephone
connections between us and Jordan. We are waiting for the moment when we
will be able to dial directly from Tel-Aviv to Amman, and vice-versa.
Border crossings will be opened from Jordan to Israel, and vice-versa.
Discussions on the issue are at their height; at this point, passage for
tourists and those with foreign passports is being discussed. We believe
and hope that the day is not far off when Israelis and Jordanians will
pass through as if it were always this way.
The Washington Declaration also addresses the following:
* the connection of electricity grids;
* the establishment of an air corridor between Israel and Jordan;
* police cooperation in the war on crime and drugs, and;
* economic issues, including a commitment for the future cancellation of
boycotts.
This week, and over the next few weeks, we will continue negotiations
regarding all of these issues in addition to many others including
border security, water, environment, energy and various economic issues.
Knesset members,
Israel is experiencing great days.
Even if there are many hardships, even if the effort is tremendous, even
if we must live through moments of disappointment and hours of
frustration, we still have no doubt in our hearts Arab nations are
joining us on the path to peace. The path is indeed long, and our work is
not nearly done.
In the Washington Declaration, King Hussein joined us as a full partner,
with his people as his partners and we have followed his courageous
steps and difficult, but wise, decisions with great hope.
And our most esteemed partners, from outside, the American people headed
by US President Bill Clinton and his administration, and members of both
Houses of Congress without whose devotion, perseverance and
contribution, we might not have succeeded in arriving at the moment when
we signed the Washington Declaration. From Jerusalem, we send our
heartfelt thanks to the President, the American people and its elected
officials.
Members of Knesset,
There are many more who live among us and who are deserving of thanks, and
there are many more abroad to whom we also owe a debt of gratitude.
As we stop at this station, on the way to peace, it is our duty and our
great honor to recall in our hearts, the Israelis civilians and soldiers,
from every period, who have fallen from 1947 to the present who are
not witnesses to the great emotions which we feel these days, whose eyes
cannot see the tears of happiness in our eyes. There are tears of pain in
our eyes that they were not able to see the arrival of this day, on the
road to peace. Our hearts today are with the members of the families who
want to join us in our happiness but whose terrible pain prevents them
from feeling it, from experiencing the pleasure, from smiling. Today, we
are with the wounded and disabled of the IDF, with the civilians who
for 46 years have borne the pain and scars which were caused by the
acts of aggression from Jordan.
Members of Knesset,
A great honor has fallen to us today to witness and participate in
these wonderful moments in the history of the State of Israel.
I will conclude with a passage from chapter 5 of First Kings, which
expresses a wish appropriate for us all: "And he had peace on all sides
around him." Let it be so.
On behalf of the Government, I ask that the Knesset endorse the Washington
Declaration.