Washington D.C., April 28, 1996
Mr. President, Dear Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I come to you from Jerusalem, with a fresh message - we have just concluded another campaign to save peace and defend Israel. From here in Washington, I salute the women and men of Israel - for their courage and determination not to allow anyone to threaten their lives - not to allow any Katyusha to kill peace.
Mr. President, it is this same people of Israel which salutes you - a great leader of the free world, a man who translated power and position into strategies and actions through a deep commitment to the values of peace, justice and liberty. You have led the struggle for a better life in our part of the world, and you have succeeded. As a true friend of the State of Israel and people of Israel, you embraced a whole nation when we were in pain. You provided a supporting shoulder to us to achieve an historical goal. You captured our hearts when you stood at the tomb of the unforgettable Yitzhak Rabin. Again, you shed a tear after the terrorist bombings killed innocent people in Jerusalem, in Ashkelon and in Tel Aviv. Never shall I forget your moving encounters with the Israeli youth - I saw their eyes light up with brightness, with hope, with faith. In the name of the generation of hope in Israel - thank you, a president of hope.
Ladies and Gentlemen, peace must be defended. The profound partnership between the United States and Israel is based on the dual assumption that we must take the initiative for peace - and at the same time defend it from those who seek to destroy it. We shall overcome the enemies of peace. They shall not succeed, and peace will prevail in our region.
Mr. President and friends, this past week has been significant, for you and for us. The Palestinian National Council, echoing the Oslo Accords, has voted to abolish those principles in this covenant that call for the destruction of the State of Israel, and has thus terminated an ideology of hatred which resulted in so much bloodshed.
Moreover, the Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, upon the initiative of the president, achieved a written understanding encompassing the Syrians and the Lebanese, to cease acts of hostility and offer tranquility on both sides of the Israeli- Lebanese border. Lebanon is now a partner to a truce, and hopefully the understanding may serve as a draft for peace in the future.
Syria joins in this understanding, and in doing so hopefully raises the prospect for a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. We could not have travelled this difficult road to peace alone. The great nation of the United States, deciding the fate of our time, stands on the side of peace. A nation which, like ours, draws from the sources and the moral vision of the Prophets. In the words of Zechariah: "The weapons of war shall be cut off; and you shall speak peace to the nations: and His Dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth."
This vision is shared by the People of America, by their elected representatives in Congress, by the Administration and above all - by the White House.
A few years ago, when Yitzhak Rabin and I, with the encouragement of the President, the Administration and Congress, initiated the peace process, few believed that this boat would cross the ocean of skepticism. Many said that there is no solution to the Palestinian problem, and the PLO would never abandon terrorism or change its infamous Covenant. Many thought that Jordan would not be among the first to join the peace process, and that Syria and Lebanon would maintain their traditional distance. Some said that the Arab world is not ready for accommodation. It took a bold decision and a bold vision to defy these doubts and to move ahead. For many years, the custom was to negotiate with oneself. After all, it is easier than to negotiate with another party. The change occurred when both sides recognized that there are two parties to a conflict - that to negotiate, there is a need for a partner. We learned that a peace plan without a partner is a dead end, while a partner, even without a peace plan, may be a real beginning. The difficult decision at the time, was to accept Yasser Arafat as a partner. You know the reasons why. Recognizing a partner is the first step to open a negotiation. Without the engagement of the President and the Secretary of State, the Middle East would have continued to produce files of plans without partners - namely, without peace.
The Middle East conflict is perhaps not the largest conflict, but certainly one of the most complicated in this century. The initiatives are beginning to bear fruits. Friends, for the first time, Palestinians and Israelis are engaged in an ongoing dialogue within an accepted framework. For the first time in this century, Palestinians are combatting Palestinian terrorism. For the first time, the Palestinian Covenant was changed by the Palestinians. For the first time, an Arab country, Jordan, plans, together with us, a joint airfield, joint industrial parks, to transform the border from a rift into another a joint venture.
For the first time, the United States has hammered out a written understanding encompassing Syria, Lebanon and Israel to prevent aggression. The Lebanese and the Palestinians realize that in order to achieve territorial integrity, they must attain integrity of authority. Where there are two armed authorities, there can be no order. Only one authority can provide the essence of government. For the first time, regional economic conferences took place in Casablanca and in Amman. For the first time in history, an American President, President Clinton, convened in the Middle East 13 Arab leaders, together with the most important leaders of our time, to launch a campaign against terrorism.
So peace has made its first bold strides toward the forging of a new reality. Peace has again been confronted with a counterattack. Libya, Iraq, and particularly Iran, are attempting to destroy the peace process. They use terrorist organizations like Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, the Hizbullah to stop it through explosives and suicide terrorists, to convince public opinion that it is impossible to reach peace. You, Mr. President, provided the inspiration to the peace process, and stood up against the enemies of peace.
My dear friends, we must continue to build a new Middle East, enjoying a high standard of living; otherwise, fundamentalism will undermine the hope for peace. Fundamentalism thrives on terror, uses deceit, seeks unconventional weapons, and tries to control the rich oil wells. We must overcome, for the sake of the people, and their present and future prosperity.
Ladies and Gentlemen, our goal remains clear to you. Before the curtain falls on this century, we shall try:
First, to establish a lasting and comprehensive peace in the entire Middle East. Once we have achieved peace with Syria and Lebanon, I am convinced that the other Arab countries will follow. Mr. President, I believe that the lawns of the White House can withstand such a great occasion, and before long, we shall declare the end to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Second, we have to raise the standard of living in the Middle East, to prove that investment in education, science and technology, offers a bright future to all our sons and daughters. Indeed, the higher the standards of living, the lower the standards of violence.
We have relinquished territories without losing opportunities. Our Jewish people have traditionally had more talent than geography. So we have to rely on our intelligence. Intelligence can be nurtured. It may be enhanced; it knows no territorial or ethnic boundaries. It is the product of motivation and diligence; it is open to the world and accessible to every individual.
Thirdly, the emphasis should be, of course, on education. Scientific levels are not acquired in the battlefield but in the classroom. In Israel, we have doubled our national investment in education; and today, the education budget in shekels equals the defense budget in shekels, and so, being defense minister, I am not jealous. We now have more teachers than officers, and this trend will be continued.
Fourthly, I wish to address the Jewish people. The history of our people shows that we did not enjoy conventional standards among nations. We were driven out of our country two thousand years ago. We were dispersed all over the world. We were cut off from one another. We endured pain, insults, pogroms, rape, and finally the Holocaust. Then, we gathered, and became again a nation. We returned to our homeland, and turned a desert into a blooming garden; we revived our ancient tongue, so that our children are playing in the language of the prophets. We have built a democratic society, and not a single day of war impinged on a single day of freedom. We have been attacked five times in forty eight years. Even when outnumbered and outgunned, we emerged victorious.
We have created industries exporting sophisticated products to all parts of the world - believe it or not, even to Japan. It is unbelievable, but we are the second exporter to Japan, immediately after the United states of America. It will be, and it is, an invitation to restore a new Jerusalem. Ladies and gentlemen, Jerusalem will remain united and the capital of Israel. We have united it, it is uniting us. But Jerusalem will also become a city of peace, the city in which fresh spirits shall roam among ancient walls. Mr. President, John Kennedy often quoted George Bernard Shaw by saying, "Some people see things as they are and ask Why? I dream dreams that never were and ask Why Not?" My question is, why not?
Mr. President, our common resolve will bring us to our goal. Peace will prevail, terror will be defeated. Prosperity will gain, despair will be overcome. A new Middle East will emerge, free of violence, free of tyranny. We will offer those young people who were so touched by your leadership and promise, as well as the young among Israel's neighbors - Arabs and non - a new, a safe, a better tomorrow.
Mr. President, you symbolize today and in our eyes today the great People of America, by your Administration and your Congress. I wish to conclude with a message of gratitude: thank you, President, thank you, America, for this great alliance, for the unique friendship, for your unprecedented support.
AIPAC is an American grassroots organization dedicated to enhancing United States-Israel relations. AIPAC has always led this essential mission, with faith and devotion, with deep inner conviction and with an incomparable ability to perform. Our countries' bilateral interests, common values and fraternity, together with the talent and wisdom of AIPAC's voluntary leaders, members and staff, are the secret of our success. Melvin and Neal, on behalf of the State of Israel, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your activities are essential and I am sure the same spirit and partnership will lead us in the future.
Yesterday in synagogues throughout the world, Jews read the words from Amos: "And I will bring back the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink their wine; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them, says the Lord thy God."
The people of Israel are proud to realize the vision. On their behalf I am very grateful to the People, the Congress, and the Administration of the United States, and particularly to you, Mr. President, for your endeavors. I also thank the Jewish community of America for its wonderful partnership. Together we will continue to work, in brotherly unison, with faith and determination, for peace and security for all, and to transform another dream into a new exciting reality.