25 June 2002
DM Ben-Eliezer comments on US President Bush's speech
(Communicated by the Defense Minister's Media Adviser)
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer has welcomed US President
George Bush's speech and views it as a historic milestone, which
outlines a security, political and economic horizon for ending the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer believes that the key to
implementing this horizon, in the words of US President Bush, lies in
the carrying out of basic reforms by the Palestinian side, centering
on the replacement of the Palestinian Authority leadership, the
renunciation of terror and incitement, and the establishment of
transparent democratic processes. Progress in this direction will
move forward the political process, which is the only way to end the
conflict.
Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer believes that realizing the dream of two
states, living alongside each other in peace and security, is a
supreme Israeli interest. If we find an honest, peace-seeking,
terror-free interlocutor on the other side, who is amenable to
historic compromise, the Defense Minister would support very
significant compromises for peace.
Defense Minister Ben-Eliezer is convinced that Israel - along with
the pragmatic Arab states and other international bodies - will do
everything in its power to assist the American efforts, in the spirit
of US President Bush's speech.