(Communicated by the President's Spokesperson)
President Shimon Peres held a working political meeting this morning with the Secretary of State of the United States of America, Hillary Clinton. The two discussed a number of topics including the peace process between Israel and its neighbors, the Iranian nuclear threat, the situation in Gaza, and the global economic crisis.
At the beginning of their meeting, Secretary Clinton said, "Being with you and hearing your thoughts is an extraordinary privilage and a revelation, my old and dear friend.You are always looking over the horizon, and I always come away from my meetings with you both inspired and encouraged to think more deeply and more broadly. You are an inspiration to me personally, as a person who has dedicated your entire adult life to the State of Israel."
Clinton emphasized that the United States respects the democratic decisions of Israel, and will stand with and support any government that is established. "The United States sees Israel as a true friend and a democratic partner, and we will continue to stand beside you. President Obama and I look forward to working with the new government that will be established in Israel."
She added that, "The United States is aware of Israel's security needs. There is no doubt that any nation, including Israel, cannot stand idly by while its territory and people are subjected to rocket attacks… Like President Peres, I don't understand the provocation that Hamas is determined to present. On behalf of the people of Gaza, these attacks are cynical… We recognize the inevitably of both technology and demography to pose threats to Israel, and therefore the new American government has to work hard to diminish the security threats to Israel as much as possible."
Secretary Clinton noted that in the meetings she held with Arab leaders at the conference of donors in Sharm e-Sheikh, moderate Islamic countries in the Middle East raised their concerns about the nuclear arming of Iran and expressed their worries concerning the strengthening of the axis of Hizbullah, Hamas, and Iran. Regarding the Iranian nuclear threat, Secretary Clinton said that there are a number of courses of action to take including the strengthening of sanctions, as well as preventing Iran from acquiring the means of delivery for nuclear weapons. She noted that the United States is currently acting in a similar manner against North Korea.
President Peres opened his remarks with a warm welcome on behalf of the people of Israel and with appreciation for the Secretary of State's friendship. President Peres described the variety of strategic threats facing Israel and his desire to advance the peace process and to find ways to advance the negotiations between Israel and its neighbors.
Peres also said that, "Any government that will be established in Israel will have to continue the peace process, and there is a majority in the Knesset in support of the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians." President Peres noted that the first 100 days are the most critical for shaping the future of a new administration's policies: "Whatever we don't do from the beginning, it will be harder to execute in the future, and therefore we need swift cooperation between Israel, the US, and the Palestinian Authority in order to begin to work immediately to advance peace and to prevent the strengthening of radicals."
President Peres emphasized that Israel is not opposed to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, but Israel is opposed to the rehabilitation of Hamas and its rearmament, and he emphasized that Israel does not intend to tolerate ongoing rocket fire on its citizens. "Israel wants to strengthen the government of Abu Mazen, and we want to broaden our economic cooperation with them in parallel with the peace process."
Regarding the Iranian nuclear threat, President Peres said that a nuclear Iran represents a danger and a threat to Israel and the entire world: "I am following the initiatives of the new American government under Obama, including getting your soldiers out of Iraq, and it is clear to me that America has a broad number of considerations, and your successes will be our successes. However Israel is following with concern the growing ties between Iran and Iraq. An Iranian takeover of Iraq would throw off the balance of the Middle East between the moderates and the radicals and would threaten all of the political and security accomplishments in the region."
Transcript of statements by President Shimon Peres and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the President's Residence in Jerusalem
President Shimon Peres: Madame Secretary of State, our very dear Hillary, and all of the people that came with you, for Israel these are very important days. You are not new in this country, but this is a compliment, because you really know us, your views are warm, and we feel that your judgment is responsible and penetrating and mature. I told you previously: the situation is not as good as we would like to have it, but not as bad as it is being reported in the press. Not everything is lost, and I think that we can have a new beginning, as your administration is a new beginning. The President [Obama] was elected by the Americans, but chosen by the rest of the world, and all of us look forward to it.
We have very serious security problems, particularly in Gaza, and further away with the threats that are coming from Teheran, but we are also experienced enough to understand that without peace we cannot solve our security problems. I do not see profoundly any contradiction between the positions taken by the United States and the positions taken by us. Our aims are the same, our values are the same, and after sixty years of statehood, we have all the reasons and justification in the world to trust the ongoing friendship of the United States, even in times when we were alone and you didn’t have the support of other people, and I think it goes deep to the roots of our perceptions and commitments and will continue to be so.
I do believe that once we shall have a government, and it may happen quite soon, we have not only to see what we do in Gaza. We would not like to repeat [Operation Cast Lead], as we didn’t want to attack Hamas in Gaza before, and even now they continue to fire. We don't know the reasons why they are doing it; we don’t know the cause that they want to achieve. We know their intentions, which are basically negative: to destroy peace. We know that we are not alone in criticizing Hamas; the rest of the Arab world feels exactly like we do.
But while doing what is necessary in Gaza - I hope it will not be necessary to do more – we want to renew right away the talks of peace. I believe that whatever government will be elected will respect the existing commitments of Israel. I think there is nobody in this country, right or left, that wants to control the lives of the Palestinians. I think they also understand that they have the right to their own life and their own control. In fact there is a realistic map that exists – not everything needs to be organized from the beginning. And also I share the view of the Secretary as it was declared by her yesterday in Cairo that time is of the essence, we shouldn't postpone. Because any postponement will open other problems and other dangers. I believe that the United States, whatever their policies towards the Iranians will be, will include a commitment not to permit Iran to create a nuclear danger in the Middle East. It's not an Israeli problem, it's a world problem. I've heard likewise from the Europeans and the Russians; it's a very serious situation.
So Hillary, I appreciate first of all your position until now; wherever you were, your responsibilities have shown understanding and sympathy and friendship. We don't take it lightly, the burden that is now lying on your shoulders, but I think they are strong, and you will find us a real and sincere partner in the double purpose of preventing and stopping terror and achieving peace for all of the people in the Middle East. It is in that spirit that I would like to welcome you to Jerusalem and the country.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: Thank you, my dear and old friend for that warm welcome and for the extraordinary example that your life sets, as someone who has devoted yourself to the state of Israel, to its security, and to the cause of peace. I always come away from my times with you both inspired and encouraged to think more deeply and more broadly. And I also am silently challenged by your ceaseless optimism about the future. This is a man for whom the expression "the glass is half full" was invented.
I have been coming to Israel for nearly 30 years. I actually relish the fact that my first visit was when I was as close to a private citizen as I have been in those 30 years. I was last here in 2005 and remember with great emotion the reception that Bill and Chelsea and I received. We have so many great memories over all of those visits. So this is truly a visit among friends, and it is my first visit as Secretary of State, for my country and on behalf of our new president.
I'm looking forward to the meetings that I will have today. It is important that the United States always underscore our unshakeable, durable, fundamental relationship and support for the State of Israel. I will be going from here to Yad VaShem to pay respects to the lost souls, to remember those who the Holocaust took, to lay a wreath, and to say a prayer. During today's visit, I want to emphasize the continuing strength of the United States-Israeli relationship and our unrelenting commitment to Israel's security.
I will be sharing my impressions from the meeting that I attended yesterday at Sharm e-Sheikh, and the individual exchanges that I had with many leaders in the region. During the conference I emphasized President Obama's and my commitment to working to achieve a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, and our support for the Palestinian Authority of President Abbas and PM Fayyad. As you know, our special envoy for Middle East Peace, Sen. George Mitchell, is accompanying me. He's already been here; he's already had extensive conversations, and he will continue as a new government is created.
At the conference, I noted once again that the continued rocket attacks against Israel must cease. I don't, like Shimon, understand the provocation that Hamas is determined to present. But on behalf of the people who are in Gaza, these rocket attacks are cynical, and as I pointed out yesterday, there is no doubt that any nation, including Israel, cannot stand idly by while its territory and people are subjected to rocket attacks.
On behalf of the United States, I would like to congratulate Israel on your recent elections, showing once again the vibrancy of your democracy. I know this is a sensitive time in Israeli politics as the process of forming a new government unfolds. This is of course a matter for the Israeli people to decide under Israeli law, but we want you to know that we will work with the government of Israel, that represents the democratic will of the people of Israel.
The democratic process has its ups and downs, but the United States and Israel share a common bond that strengthens our relationship as fellow democracies to address the challenges that we each face. Our relationship is more than just one of shared interests. It is of shared values. And President Obama and I look forward to working with Israel's new government.
So we have a full day today, but I wanted to start off the day by catching up with an old friend, and by listening to his extraordinary discussion of the range of concerns that confront Israel, but also the undying hope that Israel embodies, that there isn't any problem or any challenge that cannot be addressed by free people working together. So thank you very much for this warm welcome once again back to Israel.