Rose Garden
Washington, D.C.
July 15, 1999
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I am delighted
to welcome Prime Minister Barak to Washington. As all of you know, he
is the most decorated soldier in Israel's history. And as a soldier,
as Army Chief of Staff, Interior Minister and Foreign Minister, he
has made immeasurable contributions to his nation's security and its
emergence as a modern, thriving democratic society, time and again
taking on tough tasks and getting them done right.
Now, as Prime Minister, he has put Middle East peace at the top of
his agenda, telling his fellow citizens that Israel's triumph -- and
I quote -- "will not be complete until true peace, trust and
cooperation reign between Israel and its neighbors."
Mr. Prime Minister, if your mentor, Yitzhak Rabin were here today, I
believe he would be very gratified, seeing the leadership of his
cherished nation in your most capable hands.
For more than half a century, the United States has stood proudly
with Israel and for the security of its people and its nation.
Now, Mr. Prime Minister, as Israel again walks bravely down the path
of peace, America will walk with you, ready to help in any way we
can.
As we have seen before here at this house, as Israelis, Palestinians,
Egyptians and Jordanians have come together, what at first seems
unlikely, even impossible, can actually become reality when the will
for peace is strong. America will help as you move forward, as you
put implementation of the Wye River agreement back on course, as you
work for a final status agreement; as you seek to widen the circle of
peace to include Syria and Lebanon, and to revitalize talks among
Israel and the Arab world to solve regional problems and build a
prosperous common future. I look forward to our meeting and to
strengthening the bonds between Israel and the United States.
First, Mr. Prime Minister, again, welcome. The podium is yours.
PRIME MINISTER BARAK: Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, I came
here as a messenger of the people of Israel who have called for
change and renewal, and I am determined to bring about change and
renewal. I and the people of Israel attach great importance to the
relations with the United States, its friendship and support, and its
invaluable contribution to the peace process. The United States has
always been a true and tried friend of Israel, and President Clinton
personally has played an important role in changing the Middle East
landscape.
I came to Washington following a series of talks with a number of
Middle East leaders. I assured them that we would work as partners
with mutual trust in order to overcome all the challenges and
complications that are still awaiting us down the street.
We agreed that we need to abide by the previous agreements signed by
all parties, including the Wye Accords. It is our intention to inject
new momentum into the peace process and to put it back on all tracks.
For this, we need American leadership and support all along the
way.
Mr. President, we are on the threshold of the 21st century and the
third millennium. Mothers, fathers and children all across the Middle
East yearn for the dawn of a new era. They expect us to provide them
with a better and safer future. We cannot let their hopes down.
Together, as partners in the search for peace, we can help transform
the Middle East from an area of confrontation and enmity to a region
of peace, security and prosperity.
I look forward to all my meetings here, and I hope that this visit
will usher in a new era in the peace process and further deepen
American-Israeli relations. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Let me tell you -- here's what we'll do. We'll take a
couple of questions from the Americans, and a couple of questions
from the Israelis, but we'll start with a question from the American
press. Sam?
Q: Yes, sir. Mr. Prime Minister, when you say as you did the other
day, words to the effect that the United States perhaps should step
back somewhat and let the parties do more of the work, what do you
mean by that? And, Mr. President, how would that change U.S.
involvement in the process?
PRIME MINISTER BARAK: I think that the United States can contribute
to the process more as facilitator than as a kind of policeman, judge
and arbitrator at the same time. This was the tradition when Yitzhak
Rabin was leading the peace process. And I deeply believe that this
is the right way to have the best kind of inference and the best kind
of contribution that the United States can bring into the peace
process.
It is clear to all of us that without United States participation,
contribution, and without the leadership that had been shown in the
past by the President -- and I hope will be shown in the future by
the American administration -- we won't be able to reach a peace. And
I'm confident we'll find these resources and move forward towards
peace that all our peoples are awaiting.
THE PRESIDENT: I agree with what the Prime Minister said. I thought
that the peace process worked best when we were essentially
facilitating direct contacts between the parties and helping to make
sure that there was a clear understanding, helping to make sure that
we were there to do whatever we could do to, now and in the future,
to make sure that it would work.
We took a more active role, in effect, as mediator when the bonds of
trust and the lines of communication had become so frayed that we
were in danger of losing the peace process. And I did not want that
to happen, and I didn't think either side wanted that to happen. So
we did what was necessary to keep it going. But, obviously, if there
is a genuine priority put on this, there's a sense trust and mutual
communication on both sides -- the people in the region have to live
with the consequences of the agreements they make; it is far better
for them to take as large a role as possible in making those
agreements. And so, to that extent, I agree with the Prime
Minister.
Q: Mr. President, you say that you are waiting for Mr. Barak as a kid
waiting for a new toy. You don't think that by this remark you make
is some kind of patronizing on Mr. Barak, that you want to play with
him? What kind of game do you want to play with Mr. Barak?
THE PRESIDENT: No, I don't think it's patronizing at all; it's just
the reverse. What I'm saying is that the United States is a sponsor
of the peace process. We have done what we could consistently for
more than 20 years now through all kinds of administrations to try to
advance the peace process. I have probably spent more time on it than
anyone has, and certainly I've spent a lot of time on it.
But my view is that we should not be in a patronizing role, we should
be in a supportive role. We should do what is necessary to keep the
peace process going. But you heard what the Prime Minister said. He
said that the United States' role was essential, it was best if it
worked as a facilitator. He has already gone to see all the leaders
of the region with whom he must work -- or many of the leaders of the
region with whom he must work -- which I thought was the right thing
to do in the right order. So I was supporting the position that he
took.
PRIME MINISTER BARAK: Wolf Blitzer, you are half American, half
Israel, so you get priority. (Laughter.)
Q: Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister. I think what the previous reporter,
Shimon Shiffer was asking the President -- I don't think the
President necessarily understood the question. Your comment at the
Democratic fundraiser in Florida the other day when you said you were
as excited as a young kid with a new toy about the meetings that
you're going to have with the new Prime Minister, which today have
caused some consternation, headlines in Israel -- that you were
referring to the Prime Minister as a new toy.
PRIME MINISTER BARAK: May I tell you, Wolf, that I feel like someone
who got the mission of diffusing a time bomb, and I believe that we
are all under urgent need to deal very seriously not with tricky
interpretation of an innocent favorable statement, but by looking
into the real problems and focus on solving them.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, let me say, though -- I didn't understand, you're
right. Thank you, Wolf. That is -- in English, what that means is
that you are very excited. It has no reference to the Prime Minister.
For example -- (laughter) -- I would never do that. For example, if I
-- no, no, if I were taking a trip to Hawaii, I might say, I'm as
excited as a kid with a new toy -- doesn't mean I think Hawaii's a
new toy, if you see what I mean. It means that it's a slogan, you
know. In American English, it means I am very excited about the
prospect of the rejuvenation of the peace process. And that's all it
means. I would never say such a patronizing thing -- ever.
So I thank you -- thank you, Wolf. This is an historic moment.
Blitzer helps me make peace with the press and the people of Israel.
That's wonderful. (Laughter.) Yes, now you get a real question.
Q: Mr. President, the Prime Minister has suggested that he's going to
have to use up a lot of his domestic political capital in Israel in
order to fully implement the Wye agreement. Would it be wise to go
right away to the final status issues and let them save some of that
political capital for the tough decisions Israel is going to have to
make down the road? Would you be willing to go along with deferring
some of the agreements that were achieved at Wye?
THE PRESIDENT: First of all, I'm not quite sure that's what he said,
but I think that those kinds of questions ought -- may be properly to
be asked of us after we have a chance to have our meeting. But the
problem is, we have -- maybe we ought to let him answer it -- but
there is another party there and they have their expectations. So
maybe I should let the Prime Minister answer that.
PRIME MINISTER BARAK: We abide by an international agreement, Wye
Agreement included. It had been signed by an Israeli freely-elected
government, by the Americans and by Chairman Arafat. We are committed
to live up to it. But there is a need to combine the implementation
of Wye with the moving forward of the permanent status agreement. It
could be this way -- first Wye, then final status. It could be
this way. But only through an agreement with Arafat after mutual,
open, frank and direct discussion.
If we, together, agree, together with the Americans and Arafat, that
something could be made in order to bring those two elements
together, I hope and believe that even the international press would
not resist it very forcefully.
Q: Prime Minister Barak, you have met with President Mubarak, you
have met with King Abdullah. What are the possibilities of a meeting
between you and President Hafiz al Assad?
PRIME MINISTER BARAK: We still wait to see. When the time comes, I
hope we'll be able to meet. It takes two to tango. I'm ready, the
arena is ready; maybe the dancing instructor is ready. We have to
find opportunity and begin.
THE PRESIDENT: Now, let me say, that is not a patronizing remark
toward President Assad as the Prime Minister's dancing partner.
(Laughter.) Helen, go ahead.
Q: Mr. Prime Minister, when do you plan to disband the heavily armed
settlements in Palestine?
PRIME MINISTER BARAK: I'm not sure whether I understood the question,
so could you please repeat it?
Q: There are more and more settlements being built around Jerusalem
and so forth. Are you going to disband them?
PRIME MINISTER BARAK: No. I'm not going to build new ones. I'm not
going to dismantle any one of them -- Israelis citizens live in them.
They came to these places -- almost all of them -- through an
approval of the Israeli government. We are responsible for them. But
the overall picture will be settled once we end the permanent status
negotiation and whatever will be agreed, we will do. I believe in a
strong block of settlements that will include most of the settlers in
Judeo-Samaria and the Gaza Strip.
Q: Mr. President, many Arab American organizations in this country
are very skeptical about Arabs getting a fair chance in Israel, while
Arab Americans from Arab descent and from this country going to
Israel having very harsh treatment. There are four people sitting in
a jail without due process. They are badly treated at the airport.
Can you comment on that?
PRIME MINISTER BARAK: I will answer. I'm ready to look into this
problem. We have no intentions to humiliate or to intimidate any Arab
citizens, be it Israelis, Americans or other countries. And I cannot
respond directly to the story you are telling since I don't know the
details.
Q: Mr. President, do you personally believe in the Palestinian right
of return, even though you comments perhaps at the press conference
with Mr. Mubarak might not reflect a change in U.S. policy?
And to Prime Minster Barak, one issue here in the states has been the
question of moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to
Jerusalem. Do you believe that that needs to happen now, or can that
wait for progress in the peace process?
THE PRESIDENT: Do you want me to go first? First of all, as you
correctly stated, nothing that I have said should be interpreted as a
change in United States policy. I do think there will be a general
atmosphere when the peace is finally made which will be positive.
That's all I said.
On that question, the question you asked me, that is explicitly an
issue stated for final status negotiations by the parties. That's
part of the final status talks. The United States, as a sponsor of
the peace process, has asked the parties to do nothing to prejudge
final status issues. We certainly should be doing nothing to prejudge
the final status issues. That is why I have had a consistent position
on that, on the embassy, on every issue -- whatever else we do, the
United States has no business trying to prejudge these final status
issues. That's what the parties have to work out in the final status
talks.
Q But Mrs. Clinton has certainly prejudged them, sir.
PRIME MINISTER BARAK: As the Prime Minister of Israel, I would like
to see all the embassies from all around the world coming to
Jerusalem, and we will do whatever we can to provide the
preconditions for it. I feel that the essence of the peace effort
that we are trying to drive forward right now is the bring within the
shortest possible time a new landscape, political landscape, in the
Middle East that will make the whole question irrelevant; you will
see all the embassies together side by side in Jerusalem.
Q: Mr. Prime Minister, is there going to be Israeli astronauts on the
space station -- are you going to discuss this issue, and do you
desire such?
PRIME MINISTER BARAK: I like Israelis, especially Israeli astronauts.
There is an officer, highly competent officer in our Air Force and I
would be more than glad to see him walking in space when we enter the
new millennium, maybe in 2001 or 2002. Thank you.
PRESIDENT CLINTON: Thank you. We have to go to work.
Q Mr. President, what about Mrs. Clinton? She's prejudged the issues.
What about Mrs. Clinton's prejudgment, Mr. President? Tell us
about Mrs. Clinton's prejudgment, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: That's why Senator Moynihan's law is good -- every
individual member of Congress can express a personal opinion, but
because of the waiver, the United States does not have to prejudge
the final status issue. That's good. That's the way the law is set
up, and it's good.
Q Also, she's not President, is she?
THE PRESIDENT: That's right.
Q Yet. (Laughter.)
END