Address by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to the Knesset
Jerusalem, May 14, 2002
Mr. Speaker,
Members of the Knesset,
We are here two days before the eve of the festival of Shavuot. "And
you shall observe the Feast of Shavuot, even of the first fruits of
the wheat harvest." [Exodus 34:22]
In ancient times, our ancestors would make a pilgrimage on this
festival to the Temple Mount, here, in Jerusalem, bringing the first
fruits of their agricultural produce. And thus they would fulfill the
precept from Deuteronomy 26:1-3:
"And you shall take of the first of
all the fruit of the ground, which you shall bring in from your land
which the Lord your God gives you; and you shall put it in a basket
and shall go unto the place which the Lord your God will choose to
cause His name to dwell there. And you shall come unto the priest
that shall be in those days and say unto him: 'I profess this day
unto the Lord your God, that I am come into the land which the Lord
swore unto our fathers to give us'."
This link - so deep - between the people of Israel and its Land
continues to this day, thousands of years later.
"Whether good or bad, whether easy or difficult, whether cheap or
expensive - this is my Land," said Zeev Jabotinsky at the beginning
of the previous century, adding, "Israel and the Land of Israel - are
one." There is no power on earth that can come between the people of
Israel and its land. There is nothing more moral or more just than
the success of the people of Israel, after 2,000 years of exile, in
returning to its homeland in order to establish a sovereign state of
its own.
Before I was elected prime minister, I promised the Israeli people
that I would bring security and peace. This is my goal and I am
making every effort, along with the members of the government, to
achieve it. I have - on previous occasions - made it clear from this
podium that in order to reach a true peace, a peace for generations,
we will be ready to make concessions, painful concessions; however,
we will not make any concession regarding the security of Israeli
citizens.
The first goal of the national unity government which I head is to
protect the state and assure its existence, maintain the security of
the citizens of Israel, and promise a better and more secure future
for our children. The security of the citizens of Israel was foremost
in our minds when the government, during Passover, decided to embark
on Operation Defensive Shield.
From here, I would like to send condolences to the families of the
soldiers and civilians who were killed during and after the
operation, and wish the wounded who are still in hospital, a speedy
recovery.
Operation Defensive Shield was an important and vital stage in the
struggle to defeat the infrastructures of terror, in the war to
defeat terror wherever it may be found.
During the operation, over 2,000 fugitives were detained, some of
them very senior; considerable sections of terrorist infrastructures
in the various towns was destroyed; explosives laboratories were
blown up; and stores of weapons, war materiel and sabotage equipment
were seized.
The operation's achievements have enabled the continued taking of
quiet steps - on the basis of intelligence information acquired
during the operation, the results of which speak for themselves.
Precise, timely action, which the enemy does not hear of, but feels
very well, in his cities, in the concentrations of terror in which he
barricades himself, in his centers.
We have not finished the work. Our struggle against terror goes on
and will go on. The principles for action which were outlined
immediately upon the conclusion of Operation Defensive Shield are
enabling us to continue dealing with the infrastructures of terror,
via entry into the Palestinian Authority areas, locating
suicide-terrorists and foiling attacks in their preliminary
stages.
There can be no hiding place for terrorists, those who aid and abet
them, those who dispatch them, and all those whose goal is terror.
During all these actions, we have maintained the important principle
which guides us during this period - avoiding both escalation and a
regional war.
On the northern front as well, we are working in accordance with the
same principle of avoiding deterioration and escalation. US Secretary
of State Colin Powell's visit to Damascus led to a relaxation in the
situation for two weeks, but since then, we have witnessed
Hizbullah's repeated attempts to bring about an escalation,
encouraged by Syria.
Despite Hizbullah's attempts, Israel is continuing to exhaust all
diplomatic moves in an attempt to calm the situation on the northern
border. However, it is clear to all that Israel will be unable to sit
idly by if the provocations and terrorist attacks on our citizens and
soldiers on the northern border continue. Last week, during my most
recent visit to the United States, my fifth since taking office, I
raised the issue in my conversation with US President George Bush.
Members of the Knesset,
The government that I head, a national unity government, knows how to
take careful and responsible consideration regarding both security
and diplomatic matters. The government that I head understands that
in order to maintain Israel's strength, we must maintain our network
of relations with our friends around the world, especially the United
States, our greatest friend. Our current network of relations - which
is based on trust, common values, principles and mutual interests -
with the US administration is, perhaps, as good as it has ever
been.
My most recent visit to the US - during the course of which I met
with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin
Powell, National Security Adviser Dr. Condoleeza Rice, Vice President
Richard Cheney and, of course, President Bush - was an integrated
effort involving staff work by several bodies that deal with various
political issues: detailed documents prepared by Minister Danny
Naveh, which showed Arafat's links to terror and his direct
involvement in encouraging, dispatching and financing terror;
information materials prepared by Education Minister Limor Livnat,
who accompanied me on the trip, regarding Palestinian terror against
Israeli children; and reports on funds that Saudi Arabia has
transferred to the families of suicide-terrorists, which were
presented in the US by IDF officers. Police Commissioner Shlomo
Aharonishky and other senior police officers met with many groups and
key people in Washington. Interior Minister Eli Yishai, who also
accompanied me on the trip, provided considerable assistance. All of
these people contributed to the success of the trip.
In my meetings in Washington, we discussed a wide range of bilateral
issues that stem from our common values - freedom, liberty and
democracy - and our common interests - striving for peace, security
and stability in the Middle East.
We discussed the aspiration that is common to us all - the securing
of a true peace, a peace for generations.
Members of the Knesset,
The Israeli people are a peace-loving people. Our aspiration for
peace stems from our desire to live securely in our land and develop
it for our benefit and that of the region as a whole.
In my talks in the US, I made it known that Israel wants to enter
into peace negotiations and will do so as soon as two basic terms for
the establishment of a genuine peace process are met:
- The complete cessation of terror, violence and incitement.
- The Palestinian Authority must undergo basic structural reforms
in all areas - security, economic, legal and social - while
maintaining complete transparency and organizational
responsibility.
Whoever wants peace must understand that there is no choice - there
can be no peace with a corrupt, rotten and dictatorial regime of
terror. It must be a different Authority.
When these two basic terms are met, we will be able to enter into a
settlement in stages, including a lengthy intermediate stage in which
relations between us and the Palestinians will be determined.
Afterwards, after we see how the Palestinians build their society and
self-governing administration, after we are convinced that they
desire a true peace - then we will be able to advance towards
discussions on determining the character of the permanent settlement
between us and them. Only then will we be able to gauge what
guarantees will be necessary in order to be sure that the agreements
will be honored. Only then will we be able to sign a peace agreement,
the permanent peace that we all hope for.
Members of the Knesset,
Security matters have a direct bearing on the economic situation not
only in terms of the direct costs of the complicated security
operations that we have been carrying out but also in indirect
effects on state incomes from taxation.
In order to prevent the collapse of the economic system, we must show
national responsibility in the economic sphere as well. Yesterday,
here in the Knesset, we tabled an economic plan, the goal of which is
to deal with the present difficult situation and prevent the economy
from deteriorating into a dangerous situation.
I know that it is not an easy plan. Many groups are liable to see
themselves as being hurt by it - but it is our duty in light of the
situation. We must all do our share and show the public
responsibility incumbent on us as MKs by supporting the plan.
Members of the Knesset,
In recent months, the Israeli people have shown their greatness. In
the face of difficult battles, which many mistakenly believed would
lead to the crumbling of Israeli society, the citizens of Israel knew
how to unite and stand together in the struggle, every person in his
task, every person doing his share.
As MKs, as the public's representatives, we must also be a part of
this.
We must remember that many eyes are upon this house, and we must act
accordingly. We must continue the public debate, which is the heart
and soul of Israeli democracy, but must avoid steps which could
undermine the public's confidence in it. And above all, we must
remember that in spite of our differences of opinion, we are all
united in our aspiration to continue living here in our Land, in
peace and security.
I believe that if we all act responsibly, with consideration and
tolerance, while maintaining our unity, we will continue to do so.
From here, let us wish the Israeli people a happy Shavuot.