Prior to a meeting with the former U.S. Secretary of State, the Prime Minister explained the nature and meaning of the decision adopted by the Cabinet earlier that day. He said that it was not an ultimatum but rather honoring the Note for the Record in the Hebron Protocol, which was negotiated under American auspices. Text:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in his office today (Tuesday), 13.1.1998, with former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz. At the start of the meeting, the Prime Minister addressed political matters, in the wake of today's Cabinet meeting:
"The Cabinet's decision is not an ultimatum. It is a question of honoring the Note for the Record in the Hebron agreement. We are very specific. In the agreement there are Israeli commitments, Palestinian commitments and issues which are subject to further negotiation. We are fulfilling all of our commitments and we expect that the Palestinians will fulfill theirs. Among Israel's commitments, which the Palestinians expect to be fulfilled, is the redeployment, and we are saying that if they uphold their commitments there will be no doubt that we will move forward with the redeployment. After all, the accord is not some sort of pseudo-agreement; it is the basis for all the Oslo agreements. Why have they not canceled the Palestinian Charter? Why, at a time when we are in the midst of a peace agreement with the Palestinian people, does its leadership still have a document which calls for our destruction? These are very basic and natural expectations for which the State of Israel received assurances when the Oslo Accord was signed, and the time has come for them to be realized."
The Prime Minister added, "We seek peace. This is the only government that can bring a final status agreement which will give us the foundations of security and the other interests which are vital to us. This is the only government that can bring peace with the Palestinians while preserving the internal peace within the State of Israel. That is our intention, that is what our discussions are about and that is also what the decisions that we make will be about. To this end, I will also be going to the United States. This government will march forward according to its policy."
Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mr. Shultz exchanged views on political and economic matters, and Mr. Shultz, a professor of economics and a former American secretary of labor, expressed support for the Prime Minister's economic and privatization policies.