24 June 2002
Bush Calls for New Palestinian Leadership
(Says Israel should support a democratic Palestinian state) (2460)
President Bush has laid out his vision for Middle East peace based on
two states living side by side in peace and security. Urging all
parties in the Middle East to "break with the past and set out on a
new path," the president called on the Palestinian people to elect a
new leadership that will engage in reforms necessary for the
establishment of a Palestinian state that is democratic, economically
vibrant, and anti-terrorist.
He also called on Israel to withdraw its forces from Palestinian areas
it occupied following the start of the second Palestinian Intifada on
September 28, 2000, and said that "consistent with the recommendations
of the Mitchell committee, Israeli settlement activity in the occupied
territories must stop."
"Peace requires a new and different Palestinian leadership, so that a
Palestinian state can be born. I call on the Palestinian people to
elect new leaders, leaders not compromised by terror. I call upon them
to build a practicing democracy, based on tolerance and liberty," Bush
said in a speech at the White House June 24.
Bush said the current situation offers no prospect that life will
improve. "Israeli citizens will continue to be victimized by
terrorists, and so Israel will continue to defend herself. And the
situation of the Palestinian people will grow more and more
miserable," he said.
Bush said when the Palestinian people have new leaders, new
institutions, and new security arrangements with their neighbors, the
United States will support the creation of a Palestinian state "whose
borders and certain aspects of its sovereignty will be provisional
until resolved as part of a final settlement in the Middle East."
He said a final status Middle East peace agreement would be possible
within three years.
"As new Palestinian institutions and new leaders emerge, demonstrating
real performance on security and reform, I expect Israel to respond
and work toward a final status agreement. With intensive effort by
all, this agreement could be reached within three years from now,"
Bush said.
The president emphasized that a Palestinian state will never be
created by terror, only through reforms to build a practicing
democracy based on tolerance and liberty. "True reform will require
entirely new political and economic institutions, based on democracy,
market economics and action against terrorism," he said.
The president said Israel should allow the Palestinian economy to
develop and restore freedom of movement, permitting innocent
Palestinians to resume work and normal life. Bush also called on
Israel to release frozen Palestinian funds into honest, accountable
Palestinian hands.
Bush said he has asked Secretary of State Colin Powell to work with
Middle East and international leaders to realize the vision of a
Palestinian state, focusing on a comprehensive plan to support
Palestinian reform and institution building.
Bush said the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 would be ended
through negotiations based on U.N. resolutions 242 and 338 with Israel
withdrawing to secure and recognized borders. The president said that
other questions that remain to be resolved are the status of
Jerusalem, the plight and future of Palestinian refugees and Israel's
need for peace agreements with Lebanon and Syria.
Following is a transcript of Bush's speech:
(begin transcript)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
June 24, 2002
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON THE MIDDLE EAST
The Rose Garden
3:47 P.M.
THE PRESIDENT: For too long, the citizens of the Middle East have
lived in the midst of death and fear. The hatred of a few holds the
hopes of many hostage. The forces of extremism and terror are
attempting to kill progress and peace by killing the innocent. And
this casts a dark shadow over an entire region. For the sake of all
humanity, things must change in the Middle East.
It is untenable for Israeli citizens to live in terror. It is
untenable for Palestinians to live in squalor and occupation. And the
current situation offers no prospect that life will improve. Israeli
citizens will continue to be victimized by terrorists, and so Israel
will continue to defend herself. And the situation of the Palestinian
people will grow more and more miserable.
My vision is two states, living side by side in peace and security.
There is simply no way to achieve that peace until all parties fight
terror. Yet, at this critical moment, if all parties will break with
the past and set out on a new path, we can overcome the darkness with
the light of hope. Peace requires a new and different Palestinian
leadership, so that a Palestinian state can be born.
I call on the Palestinian people to elect new leaders, leaders not
compromised by terror. I call upon them to build a practicing
democracy, based on tolerance and liberty. If the Palestinian people
actively pursue these goals, America and the world will actively
support their efforts. If the Palestinian people meet these goals,
they will be able to reach agreement with Israel and Egypt and Jordan
on security and other arrangements for independence.
And when the Palestinian people have new leaders, new institutions and
new security arrangements with their neighbors, the United States of
America will support the creation of a Palestinian state whose borders
and certain aspects of its sovereignty will be provisional until
resolved as part of a final settlement in the Middle East.
In the work ahead, we all have responsibilities. The Palestinian
people are gifted and capable, and I am confident they can achieve a
new birth for their nation. A Palestinian state will never be created
by terror -- it will be built through reform. And reform must be more
than cosmetic change, or veiled attempt to preserve the status quo.
True reform will require entirely new political and economic
institutions, based on democracy, market economics and action against
terrorism.
Today, the elected Palestinian legislature has no authority, and power
is concentrated in the hands of an unaccountable few. A Palestinian
state can only serve its citizens with a new constitution which
separates the powers of government. The Palestinian parliament should
have the full authority of a legislative body. Local officials and
government ministers need authority of their own and the independence
to govern effectively.
The United States, along with the European Union and Arab states, will
work with Palestinian leaders to create a new constitutional
framework, and a working democracy for the Palestinian people. And the
United States, along with others in the international community will
help the Palestinians organize and monitor fair, multi-party local
elections by the end of the year, with national elections to follow.
Today, the Palestinian people live in economic stagnation, made worse
by official corruption. A Palestinian state will require a vibrant
economy, where honest enterprise is encouraged by honest government.
The United States, the international donor community and the World
Bank stand ready to work with Palestinians on a major project of
economic reform and development. The United States, the EU, the World
Bank, the International Monetary Fund are willing to oversee reforms
in Palestinian finances, encouraging transparency and independent
auditing.
And the United States, along with our partners in the developed world,
will increase our humanitarian assistance to relieve Palestinian
suffering. Today, the Palestinian people lack effective courts of law
and have no means to defend and vindicate their rights. A Palestinian
state will require a system of reliable justice to punish those who
prey on the innocent. The United States and members of the
international community stand ready to work with Palestinian leaders
to establish finance -- establish finance and monitor a truly
independent judiciary.
Today, Palestinian authorities are encouraging, not opposing,
terrorism. This is unacceptable. And the United States will not
support the establishment of a Palestinian state until its leaders
engage in a sustained fight against the terrorists and dismantle their
infrastructure. This will require an externally supervised effort to
rebuild and reform the Palestinian security services. The security
system must have clear lines of authority and accountability and a
unified chain of command.
America is pursuing this reform along with key regional states. The
world is prepared to help, yet ultimately these steps toward statehood
depend on the Palestinian people and their leaders. If they
energetically take the path of reform, the rewards can come quickly.
If Palestinians embrace democracy, confront corruption and firmly
reject terror, they can count on American support for the creation of
a provisional state of Palestine.
With a dedicated effort, this state could rise rapidly, as it comes to
terms with Israel, Egypt and Jordan on practical issues, such as
security. The final borders, the capital and other aspects of this
state's sovereignty will be negotiated between the parties, as part of
a final settlement. Arab states have offered their help in this
process, and their help is needed.
I've said in the past that nations are either with us or against us in
the war on terror. To be counted on the side of peace, nations must
act. Every leader actually committed to peace will end incitement to
violence in official media, and publicly denounce homicide bombings.
Every nation actually committed to peace will stop the flow of money,
equipment and recruits to terrorist groups seeking the destruction of
Israel -- including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah. Every nation
actually committed to peace must block the shipment of Iranian
supplies to these groups, and oppose regimes that promote terror, like
Iraq. And Syria must choose the right side in the war on terror by
closing terrorist camps and expelling terrorist organizations.
Leaders who want to be included in the peace process must show by
their deeds an undivided support for peace. And as we move toward a
peaceful solution, Arab states will be expected to build closer ties
of diplomacy and commerce with Israel, leading to full normalization
of relations between Israel and the entire Arab world.
Israel also has a large stake in the success of a democratic
Palestine. Permanent occupation threatens Israel's identity and
democracy. A stable, peaceful Palestinian state is necessary to
achieve the security that Israel longs for. So I challenge Israel to
take concrete steps to support the emergence of a viable, credible
Palestinian state.
As we make progress towards security, Israel forces need to withdraw
fully to positions they held prior to September 28, 2000. And
consistent with the recommendations of the Mitchell Committee, Israeli
settlement activity in the occupied territories must stop.
The Palestinian economy must be allowed to develop. As violence
subsides, freedom of movement should be restored, permitting innocent
Palestinians to resume work and normal life. Palestinian legislators
and officials, humanitarian and international workers, must be allowed
to go about the business of building a better future. And Israel
should release frozen Palestinian revenues into honest, accountable
hands.
I've asked Secretary Powell to work intensively with Middle Eastern
and international leaders to realize the vision of a Palestinian
state, focusing them on a comprehensive plan to support Palestinian
reform and institution-building.
Ultimately, Israelis and Palestinians must address the core issues
that divide them if there is to be a real peace, resolving all claims
and ending the conflict between them. This means that the Israeli
occupation that began in 1967 will be ended through a settlement
negotiated between the parties, based on U.N. Resolutions 242 and 338,
with Israeli withdrawal to secure and recognize borders.
We must also resolve questions concerning Jerusalem, the plight and
future of Palestinian refugees, and a final peace between Israel and
Lebanon, and Israel and a Syria that supports peace and fights terror.
All who are familiar with the history of the Middle East realize that
there may be setbacks in this process. Trained and determined killers,
as we have seen, want to stop it. Yet the Egyptian and Jordanian peace
treaties with Israel remind us that with determined and responsible
leadership progress can come quickly.
As new Palestinian institutions and new leaders emerge, demonstrating
real performance on security and reform, I expect Israel to respond
and work toward a final status agreement. With intensive effort by
all, this agreement could be reached within three years from now. And
I and my country will actively lead toward that goal.
I can understand the deep anger and anguish of the Israeli people.
You've lived too long with fear and funerals, having to avoid markets
and public transportation, and forced to put armed guards in
kindergarten classrooms. The Palestinian Authority has rejected your
offer at hand, and trafficked with terrorists. You have a right to a
normal life; you have a right to security; and I deeply believe that
you need a reformed, responsible Palestinian partner to achieve that
security.
I can understand the deep anger and despair of the Palestinian people.
For decades you've been treated as pawns in the Middle East conflict.
Your interests have been held hostage to a comprehensive peace
agreement that never seems to come, as your lives get worse year by
year. You deserve democracy and the rule of law. You deserve an open
society and a thriving economy. You deserve a life of hope for your
children. An end to occupation and a peaceful democratic Palestinian
state may seem distant, but America and our partners throughout the
world stand ready to help, help you make them possible as soon as
possible.
If liberty can blossom in the rocky soil of the West Bank and Gaza, it
will inspire millions of men and women around the globe who are
equally weary of poverty and oppression, equally entitled to the
benefits of democratic government.
I have a hope for the people of Muslim countries. Your commitments to
morality, and learning, and tolerance led to great historical
achievements. And those values are alive in the Islamic world today.
You have a rich culture, and you share the aspirations of men and
women in every culture. Prosperity and freedom and dignity are not
just American hopes, or Western hopes. They are universal, human
hopes. And even in the violence and turmoil of the Middle East,
America believes those hopes have the power to transform lives and
nations.
This moment is both an opportunity and a test for all parties in the
Middle East: an opportunity to lay the foundations for future peace; a
test to show who is serious about peace and who is not. The choice
here is stark and simple. The Bible says, "I have set before you life
and death; therefore, choose life." The time has arrived for everyone
in this conflict to choose peace, and hope, and life.
Thank you very much.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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