May 12 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2008

to undermine the hard-fought gains in sov- nese people in their hour of need. I plan ereignty and independence the Lebanese to consult with regional leaders on my up- people have made in recent years. The coming trip to the Middle East to coordi- international community will not allow the nate efforts to support the Lebanese Gov- Iranian and Syrian regimes, via their prox- ernment and implement U.N. Security ies, to return Lebanon to foreign domina- Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701, among tion and control. To ensure the safety and others, which seek to bolster Lebanon’s security of the people of Lebanon, the sovereignty against external efforts at desta- United States will continue its assistance bilization and interference. The Lebanese to the Lebanese Armed Forces to ensure people have sacrificed much for the sake they are able to defend the Lebanese Gov- of their freedom, and the United States ernment and safeguard its institutions. will continue to stand with them against It is critical that the international com- this latest assault on their independence munity come together to assist the Leba- and security.

Interview With Jacob Eilon and Gil Tamari of Channel 10 TV of May 12, 2008

Q. Mr. President, thank you for speaking resign if he was indicted with some new with Channel 10. corruption charges. Does that change in The President. Yes, sir. any way your strategy on the peace process Jenna Bush Hager’s Wedding in the Middle East? The President. No. The vision of the Q. First of all, congratulations on your peace process still is the same. I have come daughter’s wedding this weekend. [Laugh- to the conclusion that it is essential for ter] Israel to have a Palestinian partner that is The President. Thank you. It was—as my a democracy committed to peace. I fully Jewish friends tell me, there was mazel tov. understand not all Palestinians agree with And it was a beautiful experience. It was that vision. But I also believe, over time, very emotional, and it was—to see your that when confronted with life in Gaza, little girl marry a good guy. And Laura what that’s like, or life in a place where and I were thrilled. you can raise your child in peace, most Q. Made you proud? of the Palestinians will choose peace, and The President. Yes, I was very proud of that the best way to marginalize these radi- her. It was a wonderful time. And we did cals who murder the innocent to achieve it on our ranch, which was—we didn’t do their political objectives is through Pales- it here in the because Jenna tinian democracy. wanted a more low-key, kind of homey en- vironment. And she loves the ranch, and Q. And you can do that with Olmert so do we, so it was perfect. It was wonder- and Abbas? ful. Thanks for asking. The President. Well, the Prime Min- Q. Great. Now to business. ister’s—as I understand it, the legal issue The President. Yes. [Laughter] goes on, and I fully understand that and respect Israeli rule of law. I will just tell Middle East Peace Process you, in my—I have great relations with the Q. Israeli Prime Minister Prime Minister. I find him to be a frank HEARING just said a couple days ago that he would man, an honest man, an open man, a guy with

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easy to talk to, and somebody who has— of our close ally, has made it abundantly understands the vision necessary for Israeli clear to everybody that we have got to work security. together to stop you from having a nuclear And so we will continue working hard. weapon. And I do believe we can get a state defined I mean, to me, it’s the single biggest by the end of my Presidency. A state won’t threat to peace in the Middle East, is the exist until certain obligations are met by Iranian regime, not only because of their everybody, but to have it defined is very desire to have the technologies to build important. a weapon—the technologies necessary to build a weapon, but it’s also to—their fund- Middle East Peace Process/Hamas ing of Hizballah. Look what’s happening Q. So that’s the goal? By the end of in Lebanon now, a young democracy trying the year, a defined—what borders of a Pal- to survive. By the way, it’s in Israel’s inter- estinian state? ests that the Lebanese democracy survive. The President. Well, that and refugee Q. So what’s going to stop them? issue as well as the other key security issues The President. Well, pressure, sanctions, that are necessary for a state to come into diplomacy, all options on the table. They’re being. But the roadmap has obligations for trying to destabilize the young Iraqi democ- all parties. And so my goal is to get the racy. And what stops them there is when state defined. we catch them moving their weapons in, Look, I firmly believe that—first of all, they’re brought to justice. That’s what stops I supported the Sharon move on Gaza and them. still think it was the right move; and that I supported the elections, because there needs to be clarity. Everybody’s got to see Israel/ the truth. And the truth is that Hamas can’t Q. Many Israelis think that the only thing deliver promised—promises for the Pales- that would stop them would be a military tinian people. And the truth is, is that attack. Have you considered that? there’s an opportunity now to offer a dif- The President. I’ve always told people ferent vision from theirs. Their vision is, that all options are on the table. I’ve also destroy Israel. How about a vision that says, learned that in my 71⁄2 years as President, we want to coexist with Israel so we can it’s probably best not to be talking about raise our children in peace? the specifics of any option. Now, they—I’m sure people say, oh, Q. If Israel does that, would you under- Bush, man, he sounds hopelessly idealistic. stand? But the truth of the matter is, in order The President. You’re becoming very hy- for peace to secure, it’s that kind of ideal- pothetical in your questions. I fully under- ism that has got to prevail. stand Israel’s concerns about Iran. That’s going to be my message when I come to Iran Israel, and that is that you need to be con- Q. Mr. President, you have said that the cerned about Iran, and you are concerned bombing of the Syrian/North Korean facil- about Iran, and so are we. And part of ity by Israel sent a message to Iran. What our job is to—you know, look, we want was the message? You are next? to solve anything—I mean, stopping them The President. No, it’s just that people enriching is—the first choice is to do it are going to take care of their security diplomatically, of course. And that’s why needs. And the message to Iran is that your we’re working on the sanction regime, and desire to have a , coupled that’s why we’re trying to affect their HEARING with your statements about the destruction money flows. with

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But it’s hard because not everybody fine the two-state solution. It talked about shares the same anxiety as Israel and the who we would or not deal with. I’ve United States does. And—but it’s a tough been—I know, we’ve been very much en- issue, and I fully understand it. And I will gaged in terms of setting the conditions. continue to pressure as best I can. Remember, the roadmap was done during my time. Anyway, no, we’ve been very Jonathan Pollard Case much involved in the Middle East. It’s Q. Mr. President, did you get any official a—— request to Jonathan Pollard, and if Q. And should the next President start yes, would you consider it? And do you early? know, many people in Israel think that the The President. Like me? arrest of Ben-Ami Kadish in another spy Q. You’re not the next President. case tended to influence you? The President. No, no, you mean, start The President. We are constantly ana- it early like I did? Sure, yes—— lyzing cases. There’s been no change in Q. No. Okay—— the Government’s attitude at this point. The President. ——you can’t help it. Q. So—— Look, this is the—one of the accomplish- The President. No change. ments—or one of the interesting things Q. What is your—did you get such a that’s happened in this administration is we request from Israel? have placed American foreign policy—a top The President. Oh, yes, constantly. priority of our foreign policy is squarely Q. Constantly? in the Middle East. We got Iraq, we got The President. Sure. Lebanon, we got Iran, and of course, we Q. So for our 60th birthday, any new got the Middle Eastern—the peace process presents? between the Palestinians and Israelis, which The President. We’ll analyze every re- frankly is moving down the road pretty quest, but there’s been no change of atti- good. And I hope during my time, before tude. it’s over, we get the vision defined. But Situation in the Middle East/Middle East it’s—I think any American President is Peace Process going to be committed to Israel’s existence and understand the realities and threats in Q. Mr. President, it took, like, 7 years the Middle East. before you got involved in the Middle East. The President. No, but that’s not an ac- President’s Upcoming Visit to Israel curate statement, please. Q. Finally, Mr. President, you are com- Q. Well, it is in the Israeli-Palestinian ing to Israel for your second visit as Presi- peace process, maybe to be more accurate. dent of the United States. What do you The President. No, that is an inaccurate expect from this visit? statement too. But, anyway, go ahead. I The President. I expect a chance to speak will let you finish your question. in the , which I’m excited about, Q. Would you recommend the next and I’m thankful. And I’m looking forward President to start earlier? to telling people that I fully understand The President. Look, I inherited—when that—the nature of the world, and that I came in office, there was an intifada. It’s there are ideologues who murder innocent hard in the middle of the intifada to be people to achieve their political objectives. talking peace. I mean, you had people And we must do—we must stand strong scrambling for their security. But I gave against those ideologues, and we must, on a speech in June 2002—remember, I was the one hand, be strong in our security HEARING sworn in in 2001—which really helped de- measures, and on the other hand, offer a with

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competing vision. And that’s what I’m going NOTE: The interview was taped at 11:30 a.m. to talk about. in the Map Room at the White House for It’s a hopeful speech. It’s an optimistic later broadcast. In his remarks, the President speech. And it’s one that I hope assures referred to Henry Hager, husband of Jenna Israelis that during the Bush administration Bush Hager; and former Prime Minister and the subsequent administrations, they’ll Ariel Sharon of Israel. The interviewers re- have a strong friend and ally in the United ferred to President Mahmoud Abbas of the States of America. Palestinian Authority; former civilian U.S. Q. Mr. President, we wish you a pleasant Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard, trip to Israel. Thank you very much. who was convicted of treason and The President. I’m looking forward to it. in 1987; and former civilian U.S. Army me- Thank you, sir. chanical engineer Ben-Ami Kadish, who was Q. Thank you very much for this inter- arrested on April 22. The transcript was re- view. leased by the Office of the Press Secretary The President. Yes, thanks. Good to see on May 13. you guys.

Interview With Mona Shazli of Egypt’s Dream TV May 12, 2008

Ms. Shazli. Mr. President, it’s not an easy tian-U.S. relationship is a very important thing to interview the President of the most part of our Middle Eastern foreign policy, powerful state on—in the world. However, for these reasons: One, Egypt has got a what is more difficult is to size down your proud history and a great tradition, and a questions to fit in the minutes. lot of people look to Egypt for help. The President. In the timeframe. [Laugh- Now, the United States can’t solve a lot ter] of problems on our own, has to have allies be a part of it. And so on the Palestinian issue, for example, Egypt can be very con- Egypt-U.S. Relations structive and has been constructive and Ms. Shazli. Yes. My first question is, peo- helpful. Egypt has got a society that honors ple in Egypt, sometimes they get confused. diversity and gives people a chance to real- On one hand, they hear the U.S. state- ize their talents, like you. I mean, you’re ments, speeches that stress on the long- a very smart, capable professional woman lasting relationships with Egypt, the stra- who has showed the rest of the Middle tegic importance of Egypt to the U.S. and East what’s possible in the Middle East. to the Middle East, Egypt as the major And Egypt has been on the forefront of player in the peace process. On the other modernization. Egypt is a—strategically lo- hand, they could see indications that con- cated. tradicts with this: U.S. depending on other And so our relationship is strong and parties in the region, your snatching visit good. We’ve had our differences—on elec- to Sharm el-Sheikh last January, the partial cutting of the U.S. aid. How would you tions, for example. But nevertheless, to an- comment on that? swer your question, I would say the rela- The President. Yes. I would comment tionship is very solid and very important. HEARING this, that from my perspective, the Egyp- with

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