Speech by Prime Minister Ehud Barak at Dinner Hosted By President Clinton
Washington, D.C.
July 18, 1999
President Clinton,
Mrs. Clinton,
Vice President Gore, Senators and Members of the House,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
First, for myself, for Nava, for all the people of Israel, let me say
that we share America's sorrow tonight.
The little boy who sustained your nation and the world in a moment of
grief, is lost at the high noon of his own promise, with his wife and
her sister.
The family that has given us all so much has suffered another loss
that can hardly be borne.
Now we offer their families our prayers - and in their spirit, we
continue to ask "what we can do for our countries" and for the cause
of peace.
There are poets who have never known the smell of gunpowder, who have
written epics about war.
There are authors who have never heard the sound of cannon fire, who
have written books on war.
I have never written a poem or a book.
But, I was there in combat, on the firing lines, in the fight against
terrorism, and I can tell you that there have never been words or
images that truly convey the horrors of the battlefield.
Only those who have survived it can understand.
In that spirit, I have been sent here tonight by thousands of Israeli
soldiers who have given their lives; by tens of thousands who have
served valiantly and continue to contribute to their nation; and by
hundreds of thousands of children who have yet to serve.
They are all prepared to defend their country to the last drop of
their blood, but they do not want another war.
In the words of the ancient prophet Zachariah:
"Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit."
As Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, I pray that the time will
never come when I have to give the order to go to war.
Until the end of my days, I will remember the most agonizing times:
they were neither the moments under fire, nor even when we gathered
our dead.
My hardest moments were at the door of a fallen soldier's family, on
the day he was lost. It is the memory of those moments which I carry
with me here this evening.
Mr. President,
We stand today on the eve of what can be a new era of secure and
lasting peace in the Middle East.
History will record that few have worked more tirelessly or more
effectively than the President of the United States to prevent the
breakdown of the peace process - to give hope and help for all the
peoples of our region to take up this historic opportunity.
You are really a great friend - "haver"!
We have a profound trust in your resolve and your leadership - so
powerfully demonstrated again this year in Kosovo.
Somehow I believe the extraordinary victory there has been
underestimated. It was a defining moment in the new world we are
entering - proof that the free world will stand against the violation
of fundamental values in our own backyard; a signal to tyrants that
if they cross the line, the free world, led by the United States, can
and will respond.
The victory would not have been achieved without President Clinton,
who stood firm against pressure, uncertainty, and doubt along the
way.
I have spent much of my adult life fighting - and I say to you that
this was a top-notch example of leadership.
In our renewed pursuit of peace in the Middle East, we need the same
qualities.
There will be obstacles.
There will be crises.
But there will also be good times.
I can assure you, on behalf of the people of Israel, that we will
overcome the obstacles and endure the pain - knowing that America
stands by us.
In that spirit, we now follow the road of Menachem Begin and of my
beloved commander and mentor Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated
while fighting for peace.
And we will follow in their footsteps all the way to a "peace of the
brave" in the Middle East.
Mr. President, you are our partner, our fellow pilgrim on this
journey. We know that we can count on you and the American people as
we cross a great historic divide and extend a hand of friendship to
our neighbors.
Mr. President,
In the name of the soldiers - past, present and future,
In the name of the mothers and children of the Middle East,
In the name of the orphans and those who, thanks to you, will enjoy a
full and secure family life, and on behalf of all Israelis -
I propose a toast to you and to Mrs. Clinton, for your warm
hospitality this evening;
To you, for your singular role as the world's peacemaker of the
1990's;
To the deep and enduring friendship between the United States and
Israel;
To the prosperity of the United States of America;
To the wellbeing and strength of the State of Israel;
And most of all, to President Kennedy's dream so brilliantly advanced
by President Clinton, of a world "where the strong are just and the
weak secure and the peace preserved."
And allow me to end in the words of our old prayer:
"May the Maker of peace in the heavens, make peace upon us, and on
all of Israel, and let us say 'amen'."
And please allow me now to raise a toast to President Clinton,
to the United States of America, to the State of Israel. L'chaim.