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human dignity, the rule of law, a society that NOTE: The President spoke at 2:15 p.m. at the teaches tolerance, values education, and now, Zahrat Al Madian. In his remarks, he referred to at last, has the chance to unleash the creative Chairman Arafat’s wife, Shua. The transcript power of its people against the destructive made available by the Office of Press Secretary pull of hopelessness and poverty. also included the remarks of Chairman Arafat. I think of you at this hopeful moment as a family reuniting after too many years of dislocation and despair; a community of be- Remarks to the National lievers helping to build a in Council and Other Palestinian which people of all faiths can live in security Organizations in Gaza City and peace; a people known through the December 14, 1998 world, like the olive tree, for your attachment to this land and now to peace; a society that Thank you. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Za’anoun, demands of yourselves what you rightly de- Chairman Arafat, Mrs. Arafat, members of mand of others. the Palestinian National Council, the Pal- The way ahead may be hard and uncertain, estinian Central Council, the Palestinian Ex- but the way you have left behind is full of ecutive Committee, Palestinian Council self-defeating violence and soul-withering Heads of ministries, leaders of business and hate. So we have no choice but the way religion; to all members of the Palestinian ahead. community, and to my fellow who Tomorrow my family and I, along with come here from many walks of life—Arab- Chairman and Mrs. Arafat, will have a chance American, Jewish-American—this is a re- to visit Bethlehem, to light the Christmas markable day. Today the eyes of the world tree at the beginning of this season which are on you. is so important for those of us who are Chris- I am profoundly honored to be the first tians. The next time people celebrate Christ- American President to address the Palestin- mas in Bethlehem we will be on the edge ian people in a city governed by . of a new millennium, marking 2000 years I have listened carefully to all that has since the birth of the Christ child, who be- been said. I have watched carefully the reac- came known to Christians as the Prince of tions of all of you to what has been said. I Peace, who happened to be a Jew, who hap- know that the Palestinian people stand at a pens to be recognized by . crossroads: behind you a history of disposses- Now, if all that can be true, surely we can sion and dispersal, before you the oppor- figure out how to solve these problems and tunity to shape a new Palestinian future on go into the future. your own land. I close with these words of the poet, Hafez I know the way is often difficult and frus- Ibrahim: trating, but you have come to this point People of a hopeful future, we are in through a commitment to peace and negotia- need of leadership which builds and tions. You reaffirmed that commitment people who construct. today. I believe it is the only way to fulfill the aspirations of your people, and I am pro- People of a hopeful future, we are in foundly grateful to have had the opportunity need of wisdom that counsels and a to work with Chairman Arafat for the cause hand that liberates. of peace, to come here as a friend of peace People of a hopeful future, we need you; and a friend of your future, and to witness fill the void, get to work. you raising your hands, standing up tall, People of a hopeful future, do not let standing up not only against what you believe tomorrow pass like yesterday, in dusty is wrong but for what you believe is right existence. in the future. I was sitting here thinking that this mo- People of a hopeful future, your country ment would have been inconceivable a dec- implores you to think. God willing, we ade ago: no Palestinian Authority; no elec- will think and feel and act as one. tions in Gaza and the ; no relations Thank you. And thank you again. between the and Palestinians;

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no Israeli troop redeployments from the are scarce, prospects are uncertain, and per- West Bank and Gaza; no Palestinians in sonal grief is great. I know that tremendous charge in Gaza, , Bethlehem, He- pain remains as a result of losses suffered bron, Tulkarem, Jenin, , Jericho, and from violence, the separation of families, the so many other places; there was no Gaza restrictions on the movement of people and International Airport. goods. I understand your concerns about set- Today I had the privilege of cutting the tlement activity, land confiscation, and home ribbon on the international airport. Hillary demolitions. I understand your concerns and and I, along with Chairman and Mrs. Arafat, theirs about unilateral statements that could celebrated a place that will become a magnet prejudge the outcome of final status negotia- for planes from throughout the Middle East tions. I understand, in short, that there’s still and beyond, bringing you a future in which a good deal of misunderstanding 5 years after Palestinians can travel directly to the far cor- the beginning of this remarkable process. ners of the world; a future in which it is easier It takes time to change things and still and cheaper to bring materials, technology, more time for change to benefit everyone. and expertise in and out of Gaza; a future It takes determination and courage to make in which tourists and traders can flock here, peace and sometimes even more to persevere to this beautiful place on the Mediterranean; for peace. But slowly but surely, the peace a future, in short, in which the Palestinian agreements are turning into concrete people are connected to the world. progress: the transfer of territories, the Gaza I am told that just a few months ago, at industrial estate, and the airport. These a time of profound pessimism in the peace changes will make a difference in many Pal- process, your largest exporter of fruit and estinian lives. flowers was prepared to plow under a field I thank you—I thank you, Mr. Chairman, of roses, convinced the airport would never for your leadership for peace and your perse- open. But Israelis and Palestinians came to verance, for enduring all the criticism from agreement at Wye River, the airport has all sides, for being willing to change course, opened, and now I am told that company and for being strong enough to stay with what plans to export roses and carnations to Eu- is right. You have done a remarkable thing rope and throughout the Gulf, a true flower- for your people. ing of Palestinian promise. America is determined to do what we can I come here today to talk about that prom- to bring tangible benefits of peace. I am ise, to ask you to rededicate yourselves to proud that the roads we traveled on to get it, to ask you to think for a moment about here were paved, in part, with our assistance, how we can get beyond the present state of as were hundreds of miles of roads that knit things where every step forward is like, as together towns and villages throughout the we say in America, pulling teeth. Where West Bank and Gaza. there is still, in spite of the agreement at Two weeks ago, in Washington, we joined Wye—achieved because we don’t need much with other nations to pledge hundreds of mil- sleep, and we worked so hard, and Mr. lions of dollars toward your development, in- Netanyahu worked with us, and we made this cluding health care and clean water, edu- agreement. But I want to talk to you about cation for your children, rule of law projects how we can get beyond this moment, where that nurture democracy. Today I am pleased there is still so much mistrust and misunder- to announce we will also fund the training standing and quite a few missteps. of Palestinian health care providers and air- You did a good thing today in raising your port administrators, increase our support to hands. You know why? It has nothing to do . And next year I will ask with the government in . You will touch the Congress for another several hundred the people of Israel. million dollars to support the development I want the people of Israel to know that of the Palestinian people. for many Palestinians, 5 years after Oslo, the But make no mistake about it, all this was benefits of this process remain remote, that made possible because of what you did, be- for too many Palestinians lives are hard, jobs cause 5 years ago you made a choice for

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peace, and because through all the tough aspire to live free today, tomorrow, and for- times since, when in your own mind you had ever. a hundred reasons to walk away, you didn’t, And I ask you to remember these experi- because you still harbor the wisdom that led ences I had with these two groups of chil- to the Oslo accords that led to the signing dren. If I had met them in reverse order, in Washington in September of ’93—you still I would not have known which ones were can raise your hand and stand and lift your Israeli and which Palestinian. If they had all voice for peace. been lined up in a row and I had seen their Mr. Chairman, you said some profound tears, I could not tell whose father was dead words today in embracing the idea that and whose father was in prison or what the Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace as story of their lives were, making up the grief neighbors. Again I say you have led the way, that they bore. We must acknowledge that and we would not be here without you. neither side has a monopoly on pain or vir- I say to all of you, I can come here and tue. work; I can bring you to America, and we At the end of America’s Civil War, in my can work, but in the end, this is up to you— home State, a man was elected Governor you and the Israelis. For you have to live who had fought with President Lincoln’s with the consequences of what you do. I can forces, even though most of the people in help because I believe it is my job to do so; my home State fought with the secessionist I believe it is my duty to do so; because forces. And he made his inaugural speech America has Palestinian-Americans, Jewish- after 4 years of unbelievable bloodshed in Americans, other Arab-Americans who des- America, in which he had been on the win- perately want us to be helpful. But in the ning side but in the minority in our home. end, you have to decide what the understand- And everyone wondered what kind of leader ing will be, and you have to decide whether he would be. His first sentence was, ‘‘We we can get beyond the present moment have all done wrong.’’ I say that because I where there is still, for all the progress we think the beginning of mutual respect, after have made, so much mistrust. And the peo- so much pain, is to recognize not only the ple who are listening to us today in Israel, positive characteristics of people on both they have to make the same decisions. sides but the fact that there has been a lot— Peace must mean many things: legitimate a lot—of hurt and harm. rights for Palestinians—[applause]—legiti- The fulfillment of one side’s aspirations mate rights for Palestinians, real security for must not come at the expense of the other. Israel. But it must begin with something even We must believe that everyone can win in more basic: mutual recognition, seeing peo- the new Middle East. It does not hurt Israelis ple who are different, with whom there have to hear Palestinians peacefully and pridefully been profound differences, as people. asserting their identity, as we saw today. That I’ve had two profoundly emotional experi- is not a bad thing. And it does not hurt Pal- ences in the last less than 24 hours. I was estinians to acknowledge the profound desire with Chairman Arafat, and four little children of Israelis to live without fear. It is in this came to see me whose fathers are in Israeli spirit that I ask you to consider where we prisons. Last night, I met some little children go from here. whose fathers had been killed in conflict with I thank you for your rejection fully, finally, Palestinians, at the dinner that Prime Min- and forever of the passages in the Palestinian ister Netanyahu had for me. Those children Charter calling for the destruction of Israel. brought tears to my eyes. We have to find For they were the ideological underpinnings a way for both sets of children to get their of a struggle renounced at Oslo. By revoking lives back and to go forward. them once and for all, you have sent, I say Palestinians must recognize the right of again, a powerful message not to the Govern- Israel and its people to live safe and secure ment but to the people of Israel. You will lives today, tomorrow, and forever. Israel touch people on the street there. You will must recognize the right of Palestinians to reach their hearts there.

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I know how profoundly important this is work against terrorism, if you stand strong, to Israelis. I have been there four times as will be rewarded, for that must become a President. I have spent a lot of time with fact of the past. It must never be a part of people other than the political leaders, Israeli your future. schoolchildren who heard about you only as Let me say this as clearly as I can: No mat- someone who thought they should be driven ter how sharp a grievance or how deep a hurt, into the sea. They did not know what their there is no justification for killing innocents. parents or grandparents did that you thought Mr. Chairman, you said at the White was so bad. They were just children, too. Is House that no Israeli mother should have to it surprising that all this has led to the hard- worry if her son or daughter is late coming ening of hearts on both sides, that they refuse home. Your words touched many people. You to acknowledge your existence as a people said much the same thing today. We must and that led to a terrible reaction by you? invest those words with the weight of reality By turning this page on the past, you are in the minds of every person in Israel and taking the lead in writing a new story for the future. And you have issued a challenge to every Palestinian. the Government and the leaders of Israel to I feel this all the more strongly because walk down that path with you. I thank you the act of a few can falsify the image of the for doing that. The children of all the Middle many. How many times have we seen it? East thank you. How many times has it happened to us? We But declaring a change of heart still won’t both know it is profoundly wrong to equate be enough. Let’s be realistic here. First of Palestinians, in particular, and Islam, in gen- all, there are real differences. And secondly, eral, with terrorism or to see a fundamental a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, conflict between Islam and the West. For the as we used to say at home. An American poet vast majority of the more than one billion has written, ‘‘Too long a sacrifice can make Muslims in the world, tolerance is an article a stone of the heart.’’ Palestinians and Israelis of faith and terrorism a travesty of faith. and their pasts both share a history of oppres- I know that in my own country, where sion and dispossession; both have felt their Islam is one of the fastest growing religions, hearts turn to stone for living too long in fear we share the same devotion to family and and seeing loved ones die too young. You hard work and community. When it comes are two great people of strong talent and to relations between the United States and soaring ambition, sharing such a small piece Palestinians, we have come far to overcome of sacred land. our misperceptions of each other. Americans The time has come to sanctify your holy have come to appreciate the strength of your ground with genuine forgiveness and rec- identity and the depth of your aspirations. onciliation. Every influential Palestinian, And we have learned to listen to your griev- from teacher to journalist, from politician to ances as well. community leader, must make this a mission I hope you have begun to see America as to banish from the minds of children glori- fying suicide bombers, to end the practice your friend. I have tried to speak plainly to of speaking peace in one place and preaching you about the need to reach out to the people hatred in another, to teach schoolchildren of Israel, to understand the pain of their chil- the value of peace and the waste of war, to dren, to understand the history of their fear break the cycle of violence. Our great Amer- and mistrust, their yearning, gnawing desire ican prophet, Martin Luther King, once said, for security, because that is the only way ‘‘The old law of an eye for an eye leaves ev- friends can speak and the only way we can erybody blind.’’ move forward. I believe you have gained more in 5 years I took the same liberty yesterday in Israel. of peace than in 45 years of war. I believe I talked there about the need to see one’s that what we are doing today, working to- own mistakes, not just those of others; to rec- gether for security, will lead to further gains ognize the steps others have taken for peace, and changes in the heart. I believe that our not just one’s own; to break out of the politics

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of absolutes; to treat one’s neighbors with re- and the Muslims in Bosnia—all have turned spect and dignity. I talked about the pro- from conflict to cooperation. Yes, there is still found courage of both peoples and their some distrust; yes, there’s still some dif- leaders which must continue in order for a ficulty; but they are walking down the right secure, just, and lasting peace to occur; the road together. And when they see each oth- courage of Israelis to continue turning over er’s children, increasingly they only see chil- territory for peace and security; the courage dren, together. When they see the children of Palestinians to take action against all those crying, they realize the pain is real, whatever who resort to and support violence and ter- the child’s story. In each case there was a rorism; the courage of Israelis to guarantee vision of greater peace and prosperity and safe passage between the West Bank and security. Gaza and allow for greater trade and devel- In Biblical times, Jews and lived side opment; the courage of Palestinians to con- by side. They contributed to the flowering fiscate illegal weapons of war and terror; the of Alexandria. During the Golden Age of courage of Israelis to curtail closures and cur- Spain, Jews, Muslims, and Christians came fews that remain a daily hardship; the cour- together in an era of remarkable tolerance age of Palestinians to resolve all differences and learning, a third of the population laid at the negotiating table; the courage of both down its tools on Friday, a third on Saturday, peoples to abandon the rhetoric of hate that a third on Sunday. They were scholars and still poisons public discourse and limits the scientists, poets, musicians, merchants, and vision of your children; and the courage to statesmen setting an example of peaceful co- move ahead to final status negotiations to- existence that we can make a model for the gether, without either side taking unilateral future. There is no guarantee of success or steps or making unilateral statements that failure today, but the challenge of this gen- could prejudice the outcome, whether gov- eration of Palestinians is to wage an historic erning refugee settlements, borders, Jerusa- and heroic struggle for peace. lem, or any other issues encompassed by the Oslo accord. Again I say this is an historic day. I thank Now, it will take good faith, mutual re- you for coming. I thank you for raising your spect, and compromise to forge a final agree- hands. I thank you for standing up. I thank ment. I think there will be more breakdowns, you for your voices. I thank you for clapping frankly, but I think there will be more break- every time I said what you were really doing throughs, as well. There will be more chal- was reaching deep into the heart of the peo- lenges to peace from its enemies. And so I ple of Israel. Chairman Arafat said he and ask you today never to lose sight of how far Mrs. Arafat are taking Hillary and Chelsea you have come. With Chairman Arafat’s lead- and me—we’re going to Bethlehem tomor- ership already you have accomplished what row. For a Christian family to light the many said was impossible. The seemingly in- Christmas tree in Bethlehem is a great honor. tractable problems of the past can clearly find It is an interesting thing to contemplate practical solutions in the future. But it re- that in this small place, the home of Islam, quires a consistent commitment and a genu- Judaism, and Christianity, the embodiment ine willingness to change heart. of my faith was born a Jew and is still recog- As we approach this new century, think nized by Muslims as a prophet. He said a of this, think of all the conflicts in the 20th lot of very interesting things. But in the end, century that many people thought were per- He was known as the Prince of Peace. And manent that have been healed or are healing: we celebrate at Christmastime the birth of two great World Wars between the French the Prince of Peace. One reason He is known and the Germans—they’re best friends; the as the Prince of Peace is He knew something Americans and the Russians, the whole cold about what it takes to make peace. And one war—now we have a constructive partner- of the wisest things He ever said was, ‘‘We ship; the Irish Catholics and Protestants; the will be judged by the same standard by which Chinese and the Japanese; the black and we judge, but mercy triumphs over judg- white South Africans; the Serbs, the Croats, ment.’’

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In this Christmas season, in this Hanukkah I will, therefore, work with Members of season, on the edge of Ramadan, this is a Congress and the people of Puerto Rico and time for mercy and vision and looking at all their leaders to enable Puerto Ricans to clar- of our children together. You have reaffirmed ify their choice among the options. I remain the fact that you now intend to share this committed to implementing a majority piece of land without war, with your neigh- choice for Puerto Rico’s future status. bors, forever. They have heard you. They have heard you. Now, you and they must now determine Remarks Following Trilateral what kind of peace you will have. Will it be Discussions and an Exchange With grudging and mean-spirited and confining, or Reporters at Erez Crossing, Israel will it be generous and open? Will you begin December 15, 1998 to judge each other in the way you would like to be judged? Will you begin to see each Good morning, everybody. I just had a other’s children in the way you see your own? very good meeting, a very frank meeting, Will they feel your pain, and will you under- with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Chair- stand theirs? man Arafat. First, everyone agrees that yes- Surely to goodness, after 5 years of this terday’s convening of all the Palestinian peace process and decades of suffering and groups and the vote by the Palestinian Na- after you have come here today and done tional Council and the others to fully and for- what you have done, we can say, ‘‘Enough ever reject the conflict with Israel and com- of this gnashing of teeth. Let us join hands mit to a path to peace and cooperation was and proudly go forward together.’’ a truly historic day. Thank you very much. And what we focused on in our meeting is how to follow up on that, where do we NOTE: The President spoke at 5:30 p.m. in the go from here, how can we vigorously imple- Main Hall at the Shawwa Center. In his remarks, ment the process that we agreed to at Wye. he referred to Speaker Salim Za’anoun of the Pal- And I’d like to just—I have a few notes here estine National Council; and Chairman Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian Authority, and his wife from the meeting—I’d like to go over them Shua. with you. The first thing that we agreed to do was to energize the permanent status talks. Keep Statement on the Puerto Rico Status in mind, the purpose of the Wye agreement Referendum was to resolve the matters that had to be re- December 14, 1998 solved so we could get into permanent status talks and try to get back as close as possible I have advocated enabling the people of to the timetable set out in 1993. Puerto Rico to determine their future status Secondly, we agreed to vigorously pursue among all the options—continuing the cur- the security issue through the appropriate rent governing arrangement, known as Com- committee. There is, I think, no space be- monwealth; nationhood, either independent tween the two sides in their understanding from or in an association with the U.S.; and that maintaining security cooperation and statehood. This year the House passed a bi- minimizing security problems is the pre- partisan bill for this purpose, with my sup- condition to making all the rest of this work. port, but the Senate majority leadership It’s what made Wye possible. blocked it. In the end, the leadership simply Thirdly, the prisoner issue, as you know, recognized Puerto Ricans’ right to choose is a difficult one, but an informal channel and promised to review the results. has been agreed to for dealing with that, and Yesterday Puerto Ricans voted on these it was agreed to—referred all the questions issues under local law. A majority of the vote to that channel and to pursue that accord- was not for any of the options. Among the ingly. rest, the overwhelming majority supported Fourthly, there is a so-called steering com- statehood. mittee which is basically a clearinghouse for

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