US committed to Israel's security and a real peace - Secretary of State Warren Christopher speech - includes related article on meeting with Palestinian leader Faisal Husseini - Transcript

Secretary Christopher

Address before the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference, Washington, DC, March 23, 1993

It's a great pleasure for me to be here today with so many friends and to have this opportunity to address this policy conference. I understand that there are at this conference--and I've seen a number of them in the room as I came in-over 1,200 college students from more than 200 colleges.

I know well that this group has added tremendous energy to an already very energetic organization. As [AIPAC President] Steve [Grossman] has said, I've been in meetings this morning with [Russian] Foreign Minister Kozyrev and will continue this afternoon, but I wanted to break away for a brief time to keep my commitment to say a few words to this organization. And next time I come, I .hope I'11 be able to stay longer than I can today.

You all know that President Clinton sent me, as my first trip outside the United States, to the Middle East to reinvigorate the peace process. In doing so, the President demonstrated that pursuing peace in the region is a top priority and will continue to be for his presidency.

During the trip, I spent 3 nights and 2 days in Israel--the longest I spent in any place in the Middle East-- and while I was there, I did as much as I could to absorb some of the history and culture of that great country. This included time at the Yad Vashem [Holocaust memorial], which was certainly one of the most moving experiences that I've ever had. The press reported that when I came out I was choked up and solemn, and I guess I have to plead guilty. It was quite an experience; I'm sure that most in the room have had it. As with all of us, I think it was the children who got to me the most.

My travels in Israel also gave me a new appreciation of Israel's security situation. Indeed, my entire experience there dramatically underscored the need to make the strongest effort that we can to achieve peace and security for Israel.

Although I had met him before, during this trip I had my first real opportunity to get to know [Israeli] Prime Minister Rabin well and to have extensive personal discussions with him--three separate sessions. From my perspective and I hope from his, too--we established a good, personal, working relationship. I'm absolutely resolved to do my part to establish with him a relationship of trust and confidence and, through that, to establish a relationship with Israel of trust and confidence, for I believe it will be essential and valuable in promoting the cause of peace.

I know how deeply the people in this room care about the state of Israel and the future of US-Israeli relationships. I'd like to talk to you for just a few minutes today about the nature of that relationship.

Israel--I don't have to tell you--is a very special place, and the unique relationship between our two countries has proven strong and durable over the years. President Clinton has committed himself to making this partnership even more strong and even deeper. Given the challenges we face in the years ahead, particularly as we search for peace in the region, this close partnership will be absolutely essential.

Three particular themes come to mind in relationship to this relationship between Israel and the United States:

* First, our shared ideals and values;

* Second, America's commitment to Israel's security; and

* Third, the mutual commitment that we have to the Arab-Israeli peace process.

I want to talk today a little bit about each of these three and then conclude with some brief comments on the peace negotiations.

Shared Ideals and Values

With respect to shared values, of course, many factors account for the depth of the relationship between the United States and Israel. They include Israel's role as a strategic ally, the US commitment to the idea of Jewish statehood in the wake of the Nazi genocide, and the importance of Israel to the American Jewish community.

Beyond these principal factors are fundamental values that we share, and they are exceedingly important.

* Israel is a vibrant democracy with a dynamic political life, not unlike ours;

* Israel is a pluralistic society, much like our own, with remarkable diversity even for a small country; and

* Israel is a society based upon religious, ethical, and moral values.

These shared values have provided an absolutely essential solid sustenance for the relationship between the United States and Israel. Shared values are exceedingly important. Certainly shared interests are, but shared values give our relationship a special character that has linked us over the years, that bring our societies and peoples close together.

Commitment to Israel's Security

With respect to our commitment to Israel's security, no one who has ever visited Israel can fail to appreciate how much the need for security shapes Israel's view of the world. No one can begin to appreciate the concerns of Israel without studying the shadow that history has cast over it. My visit impressed upon me anew the narrow margin on which security in Israel rests.

Since independence, the state of Israel has been confronted with terrorism; [with] the Scud missiles; with war; and, now, with an even deadlier threat of mass destruction and weapons of mass destruction. No one in the area should have to live this way in the future. It is precisely for these reasons that the United States is unshakeably committed to Israel's security.

The discussions last week between President Clinton and Prime Minister Rabin accentuated our revitalized strategic partnership. Indeed, we agreed on a number of tangible ways of demonstrating and accelerating that partnership.

* We renewed our umbrella agreement on strategic cooperation under which our officials meet frequently to coordinate our policies.

* We agreed to preserve in meaningful ways Israel's qualitative edge--and as the weapons of destruction grow more technical and more high-tech, indeed I think we have a new challenge to preserve the qualitative edge that we're committed to.

* We also established a US-Israel science and technology commission to be headed by Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown on our side, a development that was warmly received by Prime Minister Rabin.

Commitment to Peace Process

And now a few words with respect to the peace process. It is clear that real security will ultimately depend upon real peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors and the Palestinians. Direct negotiations between Israel and its neighbors are the only pathway to real peace. The process launched at Madrid--based upon UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 and the search for a comprehensive peace-- offers a real opportunity for the parties to negotiate a meaningful peace. It is a rare opportunity that must not be wasted.

President Clinton sent me to the region last month to focus the parties-- indeed, I think I should say "to refocus" them---on the substance of the negotiation. My trip had three other purposes that are closely related:

First, to encourage the Lebanese Government to continue the path toward political and economic reform, and I was delighted to be able to go into Beirut to symbolize the fact that progress has been made on that front;

Second, to make clear to friend and foe alike that the United States expects Iraq to fully comply with every single relevant UN Security Council resolution; and

Third, to explain our commitment to human rights and economic freedom, including ending the Arab boycott of Israel and including ending the discrimination against American companies.

On the peace process, I made clear to everyone that President Clinton and I are not interested in negotiations that are simply a ritual without a purpose. Enough time and effort has gone into the modalities of the peace process. Now it is time to turn to serious negotiations and to agreements leading up to real peace.

While all parties are aware of the challenge ahead, I found everywhere-- in Israel, in the key Arab states, and among the Palestinians-a real desire to see the process succeed. I must tell you that every Arab leader I met with made it very clear that they're serious about pursuing peace. What I heard in all the capitals convinced me that this is a truly historic opportunity to achieve peace--perhaps a one4ime opportunity.

As a result of my trip out there, I decided and met with the Russians, and together we decided that we should invite all parties to return for negotiations starting here in Washington on April 20 [1993].

As you know, this past week President Clinton and I had long conversations with Prime Minister Rabin about the negotiations and about ways to make them succeed. There is no doubt in my mind at all that Prime Minister Rabin is serious about peace, that he wants to move ahead as quickly as possible, and that he is prepared to make the hard choices that are needed to see this process through.

We'll be consulting very closely with him--and, indeed, we'll be consulting closely with all the parties-- about how to make the next round of negotiations truly meaningful, truly productive.

I'm firmly persuaded that progress is within the grasp of the parties. The road ahead certainly won't be an easy one. All the parties will face difficult choices and risks. I want you to know that the United States is committed as a full partner to help these negotiations succeed. This does not mean that the United States plans to negotiate for the parties or to try to interpose itself between them. Clearly, direct negotiations, particularly on the issues that involve physical survival and political survival, remain the responsibility of the parties. The President and I have made it very clear, however, that we will do our part--as an intermediary, as an honest broker--provided that the other parties do theirs.

When the Arabs, the Israelis, and the Palestinians put forward their views--seriously and realistically--we will be there to probe positions, to clarify responses, to help define common ground, [and] to offer what may be bridging ideas. This is the meaning of "full partnership," and it reflects our determination to work with all the parties to facilitate negotiations that will take into account the needs and concerns of Israel, of the Arabs, and of the Palestinians. Only in this way can we have a meaningful peace.

If the political will and the commit* ment are there-and I believe they are--I think we can play a facilitating role in helping to secure that peace, a peace that will be good for Israel, good for the Arabs, good for the Palestinians, and good for all of mankind. I know that I can count on the support of this organization, as American leaders always have, in working toward this necessary and important goal.

Conclusion

As I conclude today, let me say that I very much hope that the next time I come back I can spend longer with you and respond to the questions that I know you have from the floor. But this is the size of the window that I could open today, and I wanted to come, at least, and make my presence known and to tell you that I value this organization. You and other leaders will have access to me, as much as I can possibly give, through[out] my tenure as Secretary of State, and thank you again.

Opening statements by Secretary Christopher and Palestinian leader Faisal Husseini before their meeting, Washington, DC, March 26, 1993.

Secretary Christopher: Good afternoon. I'm very pleased to welcome to the State Department this afternoon Mr. Faisal Husseini, who is the leader of the Palestinian group that I met with twice when I was in Jerusalem [in February]. I'm very pleased to have him here in Washington. We are going to be discussing progress on the [Middle East] peace process.

I feel that 1993 can be a real year of progress here, a year of breakthroughs, [and] a year in which we can see the results of negotiations. Only through negotiations between all the parties will we be able to achieve a true peace based upon JUN Security Council] Resolutions 242 and 338. Only through negotiations will we be able to restore the political rights of the Palestinians. Only through negotiations will we be able to achieve a degree of tranquility in the territories there that have been so troubled by violence recently. Only through negotiations can we make real progress in 1993.

So, l look forward to discussions with Mr. Husseini, whom I met in Jerusalem and formed a very high regard for. I welcome him here to Washington. Welcome--a little handshake for all of you. Thank you.

Mr. Husseini: Thank you very much. We are happy and we are optimistic about this meeting. We really would like to reach that point [where] we can remove all these obstacles which are the cause for the stop[ping] of the peace talks. We hope by this meeting [that] we can solve all these problems and we can go ahead. As the Secretary of State said, only by negotiations can we solve all these problems.

COPYRIGHT 1993 U.S. Government Printing Office
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