28 Jan. 7 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 2001 lives and their children's lives. That's what terday he had a birthday, and now, like me, I want to ask you more. You've given her he's 54. Unlike me, he has enough children a great gift. Now help her use it for the pur- to be elected President of the United States. pose it was intended. [Laughter] And he's had a wonderful family Last Wednesday, when Hillary was sworn and a wonderful life, and I'm delighted that into the Senate, I believe that Chelsea and he's so active in the Israel Policy Forum. I'd I were the two happiest people on the planet: like to thank Judith Stern Peck for making Chelsea, because she loves her mother and me feel so welcome and for her leadership. she's proud of her; me, for the same reasons, I thank Lesley Stahl. It's good to see you, but also because when I met Hillary nearly and thank you for your kind remarks. I thank 30 years ago nowÐ2 more months, 30 years the many Members of Congress who are agoÐI thought that she had more capacity here and also the members of my Middle and more heart for public service than any- East peace team. Secretary Albright and body I had ever met. And I worried when Sandy Berger and others have been intro- we started our lives together that somehow duced, but Secretary Dan Glickman is here, I would limit her service. and Kerry Kennedy Cuomo is here, and I Your giving her this chance, in my mind, thank them for being here. has reaffirmed the wisdom she made in mov- I want to thank the New York officials who ing to be with me so long ago and all the are hereÐCarl McCall, Mark Green, and any many roles she's played in giving to others others who may be in the crowdÐfor your and never asking for anything for herself until many kindnesses to me over the last 8 years. she made this race. And I can tell you this, New York has been great to me and Al Gore you will not be disappointed, because I was and even greater to my wife on election day, right about her 30 years ago. so I thank you for that. Thank you. God bless you. We just reenacted her swearing-in at Now, Mr. Vice President, please reenact Madison Square Garden. And I was re- the ceremony. minded of one of the many advantages of living in New York: Jessye Norman sang; NOTE: The President spoke at 4:50 p.m. at Madi- Toni Morrison read; and Billy Joel sang. son Square Garden. In his remarks, he referred Meanwhile, at least at half time, the Giants to soprano Jessye Norman; author Toni Morrison; were ahead. [Laughter] And so I said, I felt musician Billy Joel; and Judith Hope, chair, New sort of like Garrison Keillor did about Lake York State Democratic Party; Garrison Keillor, Wobegon. I was glad to be in New York host of ``Prairie Home Companion''; and Senator where all the writers, artists, and sports teams Schumer's wife, Iris Weinshall. The transcript re- leased by the Office of the Press Secretary also were above averageÐ[laughter]Ðand all the included the remarks of Senator Hillary Clinton votes were always counted. [Laughter] and Vice President Al Gore. Let me also say a word of warm welcome and profound respect to the Speaker of the Knesset, Speaker Burg, for his wonderful and Remarks at an Israel Policy Forum kind comments to me, and to Cabinet Sec- Dinner in New York City retary Herzog, for his message from the Gov- January 7, 2001 ernment of Israel. I want to say a little more about that in a moment. Thank you very much. Thank you. I want I want to congratulate Dwayne Andreas, to thank all of you for making me feel so my good friendÐI wish he were here to- welcome tonight and also for making Hillary nightÐand thank him for his many and Chelsea feel welcome. I thank Michael kindnesses to me. Congratulations, Louis Sonnenfeldt, who, like me, is going out after Perlmutter; Susan Stern, who has been such 8 yearsÐ[laughter]Ðand will doubtless find a great friend to Hillary, and you gave a good some other useful activity. But he has done talk tonight. I think you've got a real future a superb job, and I'm very grateful to him. in this business. And your mother sat by me, I thank my friend Jack Bendheim for his and she gave you a good grade, too. [Laugh- many kindnesses to me and to Hillary. Yes- ter] Administration of William J. Clinton, 2001 / Jan. 7 29 And Alan Solomont, who has done as He knew nine things could go wrong and much for me as, I suppose, any American, only one thing could go right. But he prom- and he and Susan and their children have ised himself that he would have to try. And been great friends, and I thank you for what as long as he knew Israel in the end could you've done, sir. I thank all of you. defend itself and maintain its security, he I'd also like to say how much I appreciated would keep taking risks. And that's what he's and was moved by the words of Prime Min- done, down to these days. There may be ister Barak. He was dealt the hard hand by those who disagree with him, but he has history. And he came to office with absolute demonstrated as much bravery in the office conviction that in the end, Israel could not of Prime Minister as he ever did on the field be secure unless a just and lasting peace of battle, and no one should ever question could be reached with its neighbors, begin- that. ning with the Palestinians; that if that turned Now, I imagine this has been a tough time out not to be possible, then the next best for those of you who have been supporting thing was to be as strong as possible and as the IPF out of conviction for a long time. effective in the use of that strength. But his All the dreams we had in '93 that were re- knowledge of war has fed a passion for peace. vived when we had the peace with Jordan, And his understanding of the changing tech- revived again when we had the Wye River nology of war has made him more passionate, accordsÐthat was, I think, the most inter- not because he thinks the existence of Israel esting peace talk I was ever involved in. My is less secureÐif anything, it's more secureÐ strategy was the same used to break prisoners but because the sophisticated weapons avail- of war: I just didn't let anybody sleep for 9 able to terrorists today mean even though days, and finally, out of exhaustion, we made they still lose, they can exact a higher price a dealÐjust so people could go home and along the way. go to bed. [Laughter] I've been looking for I've been in enough political fights in my an opportunity to employ it again, ever since. life to know that sometimes you just have There have been a lot of positive things, to do the right thing, and it may work out, and I think it's worth remembering that there and it may not. Most people thought I had have been positive developments along the lost my mind when we passed the economic way. But this is heartbreaking, what we've plan to get rid of the deficit in 1993. And been through these last few months, for all no one in the other party voted for it, and of you who have believed for 8 years in the they just talked about how it would bring the Oslo process, all of you whose hearts soared world to an end and America's economy on September 13, 1993,* when Yasser Arafat would be a disaster. I think the only Repub- and Yitzhak Rabin signed that agreement. lican who thought it would work was Alan For over 3 months, we have lived through Greenspan. [Laughter] He was relieved of a tragic cycle of violence that has cost hun- the burden of having to say anything about dreds of lives. It has shattered the confidence it. in the peace process. It has raised questions But no dilemma I have ever faced approxi- in some people's minds about whether Pal- mates in difficulty or comes close to the estinians and Israelis could ever really live choice that Prime Minister Barak had to and work together, support each other's make when he took office. He realized that peace and prosperity and security. It's been he couldn't know for sure what the final in- a heartbreaking time for me, too. But we tentions of the Palestinian leadership were have done our best to work with the parties without testing them. He further realized to restore calm, to end the bloodshed, and that even if the intentions were there, there to get back to working on an agreement to was a lot of competition among the Palestin- address the underlying causes that continu- ians and from outside forces, from people ously erupt in conflicts. who are enemies of peace because they don't Whatever happens in the next 2 weeks I've give a rip how the ordinary Palestinians have got to serve, I think it's appropriate for me to live and they're pursuing a whole different agenda.