After the meeting with President Clinton at the White House, in his capacity as defense minister, Mr. Rabin was received with full military honors at the Pentagon for a meeting with Defense Secretary Les Aspin. The talks ranged on a strategic review, how to maintain Israel's qualitative edge in weapons systems, and the threat emanating from radical Islamic states and terrorist organizations. Israel offered the U.S. military and naval facilities in Haifa and elsewhere. The following remarks were made at the conclusion of the meeting. Both leaders also answered questions from the media.
Secretary Aspin: Let me say that we had a very, very interesting and very important meeting with the prime minister in his capacity as defense minister. We had lunch with him as prime minister and the meeting this afternoon as defense minister, and it was a good - a good exchange. We covered a whole range of issues, and I'll let you ask the defense minister about them.
Prime Minister Rabin: Mr. Secretary, first allow me to thank you for having me here to have the opportunity to discuss all the issues in which Israel is interested and the issues on which there is a close cooperation between our two countries and our two defense establishments.
As you know, there are strong links, a long history of cooperation between the defense establishments of our two countries. We tried to sum up what has been achieved, what are the issues that we have to solve that will serve the interests of our two countries and will give credibility to the decision here to give Israel a qualitative edge. These issues have been discussed. I will not elaborate about them. And it was in a good mood, good feelings, and thank you again, Mr. Secretary.
Q: Mr. Prime Minister, just a second. Could we ask if you discussed the possibility as has been reported of basing a U.S. aircraft carrier in Haifa?
Prime Minister Rabin: Well, I believe that there's a friendly country to the United States. Israel is ready to give the kind of facilities that the Sixth Fleet, other naval units of the U.S. Navy will be needing in Haifa.
The question of home base - this is not an Israeli issue. First, the United States has to decide if there is such a need for the United States, bearing in mind all the other problems that the Department of Defense is facing nowadays. Therefore, I'll answer this question once the issue will be brought by the United States to us.
Q: Could we ask you, Mr. Secretary?
Secretary Aspin: Let me just say that we are very, very grateful for the offer and the continued offer not only of the Haifa port, but for all of the help that Israel consistently offers. It is very welcome in that part of the world, where the offers of help to the United States military is not forthcoming from an awful lot of places. We are really very grateful for it and very, very grateful. Whether we take up the option depends, of course, on what - where we go with the future of our forces, and that will determine - we need to determine how many - what kind of a presence we want in the Mediterranean in the future, how many carriers we want to have, and all of those kinds of things. So I think it will depend upon the strategic review that is undergoing or will be undergone in the Pentagon as soon as we finish the '94 budget. But it really depends upon how many carriers you have and what kind of a presence you want in what kind of parts of the world, and whether you want a continuous presence or an intermittent presence.
Q: One question for the Prime Minister if I may, sir. Do you accept the Palestinian premise there can be no lasting peace in the Middle East until Israel removes the settlements from the West Bank and Gaza?
Prime Minister Rabin: I believe that in the search for peace, in the peace negotiations, no side, no one of the sides should come and say "This is an ultimatum" to another side. The purpose of negotiations, if there is a real desire to solve the problem, is to seek to negotiate. And in any conflict when there is a real desire to end it, to find a solution, compromises must be done, but on both sides.
Q: A follow-up, sir. Do you feel that there is a serious attempt on both sides to find peace now or not?
Prime Minister Rabin: I have my own views about it. I don't believe that when efforts are made, especially by the United States - the secretary of state toured the region, tried to bring about the resumption of the peace negotiations. I don't believe that at this stage I have to define somebody who opposes peace. I'm now talking about Islamic extremist groups like Hamas, like Hizballah, like Iran, that they come out publicly and declare that they oppose the peace negotiations. I believe that at this stage I will give the benefit of the doubt to everyone who would like to sit and negotiate peace.