Jerusalem, 10 November 1999
PM Barak Briefs Cabinet on Paris Meetings
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
At the Cabinet meeting today (Wednesday), 10.11.99, Prime
Minister Ehud Barak briefed the government on his visit to Paris
and expressed his satisfaction at the goodwill which the world
community is showing towards Israel today. He emphasized the
importance that he places on the diplomatic struggle and in
clarifying Israel's basic positions on the peace process,
especially in light of the erosion in Israel's international
status in recent years.
Prime Minister Barak referred to the public debate regarding
United Nations Security Council Resolution 242: "Resolution 242
is part of our international agreements and it naturally applies
to our dialogue with the Palestinians. Precisely for this reason,
and in light of the coming crucial discussions, we must present
the proper relationship between the Resolution and the situation
in Judea and Samaria. In contrast to Egypt, Jordan, Syria and
Lebanon, with whom we had recognized international borders prior
to the wars that led to the occupation of territory, in the case
of the territory known as the West Bank, there is not now, nor
has there ever been, a border that can be a reference point for
negotiations."
Prime Minister Barak emphasized the importance of the clause in
Resolution 242 that refers to the necessity for defensible
borders in light of the character of the region in which we live.
"We are not flying in a balloon over the skies of Europe; our
feet are on the ground of the Middle East. Here, a fundamentalist
wave can sweep an entire country; here, a terrorist attack can be
launched against Israel; here, conventional militaries can try to
eliminate Israel; and here, an irresponsible tyrant can launch
missiles against peoples' homes. All this has already happened -
and can still happen - in the Middle East. Therefore, our
determination to insist on secure borders is not some caprice or
excuse, but a genuine need and one of our responsibilities for
the future existence of the State of Israel." He concluded that
these basic positions are being brought to the attention of world
leaders.