    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book II)]
    [November 12, 1993]
    [Pages 1961-1966]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's News Conference With Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of
    Israel
    November 12, 1993

        The President. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It's a great
    pleasure for me once again to have the opportunity to host my friend
    Prime Minister Rabin. I first welcomed him to the White House last
    March. At that time, he stated with great conviction that he felt the
    time had come to make peace and that he was ready to make the necessary
    steps and to take the necessary risks for peace. I told him that if that
    were to be the case, it was the job of the United States to minimize
    those risks. We both committed to make 1993 a year of breakthrough for
    peace in the Middle East.
        On September 13, that commitment was transformed into history
    through the simple handshake on the South Lawn of the White House.
    Israel's historic effort with the Palestinians was due, in large
    measure, to the courageous statesmanship of Prime Minister Rabin.
        Shortly thereafter, the United States convened a donors' conference
    to help provide the funds necessary to speed and facilitate the
    reconciliation. Yet there is still much work to be done to turn the
    promise of September 13th into a comprehensive and lasting peace. The
    Prime Minister and I have agreed it must be a peace that secures
    Israel's existence and one that endures for generations. We agreed on
    the need for prompt and effective implementation of the Palestinian-
    Israel accord. We must not allow the opponents of that agreement to
    derail the new progress that this year has brought. And leaders who seek
    peace must speak out in a loud and clear voice against those who would
    destroy those aspirations for peace.
        The Prime Minister and I discussed the next step toward our common
    objectives. We agreed that peace between Israel and Syria is essential
    to achieving that objective of comprehensive peace. I told the Prime
    Minister that I have been delighted by the progress Israel has made with
    Jordan following the historic meeting between Crown Prince Hassan and
    Foreign Minister Peres, which I hosted a few weeks ago. We discussed how
    the United States and Israel, working together, can achieve a peace
    agreement with Jordan and Israel in the near future. Morocco, Tunisia,
    Indonesia, and other Arab and Muslim states have also taken encouraging
    steps to respond to Israel's peace commitments.
        I told the Prime Minister that I believe even more needs to be done
    to reinforce the progress already made by the PLO and Jordan. In
    particular, I think the time has come to end the Arab boycott of Israel,
    a relic of past animosity that simply has no place in the architecture
    of peaceful relations we are all working to build in the Middle East.
        During our talks we discussed what the United States can do to
    enhance Israel's security as it comes to grips with the very real risks
    it is taking to achieve this peace.
        I reaffirmed my commitment to work with the Congress, to maintain
    our present levels of assistance, and to consult with Congress to
    consider how we can use loan guarantees and other forms of assistance to
    Israel to help Israel defray the cost of peace.
        We also discussed ways the United States can help Israel defend
    itself from its adversaries and long-term threats to its security. And I
    renewed America's unshakable pledge to maintain and enhance Israel's
    qualitative security edge.
        Mr. Prime Minister, as you go home, I hope you will tell your people
    that as they turn their energies and talents to the hard and daring work
    of building that comprehensive peace, the American people will stand by
    them.
        Prime Minister Rabin. Mr. President, the Vice President, Secretary
    of State, Secretary of Defense, ladies and gentlemen. A few weeks ago we
    took part in the historical moment of signing

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    of the Declaration of Principles between Israel and the PLO.
        Mr. President, we appreciate and are thankful for the role that you
    have played in bringing the Declaration of Principles to its conclusion.
    We hoped and we continue to hope that this significant step will bring
    an end to 100 years of terrorism and bloodshed.
        Today we are in the midst of negotiations to implement the
    Declaration of Principles signed here on the lawn of the White House on
    September 13th. I told you, Mr. President, that these are complicated
    negotiations, and in the process of reaching an agreement there will be
    ups and downs. But I am quite sure that we and the Palestinians have
    passed the point of no return in our efforts to implement the agreement.
        This is why the PLO must condemn vigorously, openly, and immediately
    any action that is in flagrant violation of the commitment to renounce
    terrorism. The basis for our advance and progress in the implementation
    of the agreement is that each side must keep its commitments.
        The signing of the DOP has created a new hope and opened many
    opportunities in our negotiations with other Arab parties to the
    Washington negotiations for peace. We hope and expect that with your
    assistance, Mr. President, that these talks will be continued as soon as
    possible.
        We have found that direct and quiet contacts between Israel and its
    partners in the effort to achieve a comprehensive peace is the best way
    to overcome prejudices of the past. The less the talks are exposed to
    the limelight of the media, the better are the chances to achieve
    agreements.
        We believe that you, Mr. President, and the Secretary of State can
    assist in facilitating this particular mode of negotiations. We are
    therefore ready to continue with your assistance the negotiation with
    Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. We believe that the substantial common
    agenda concluded with Jordan and further efforts made since can serve as
    a basis towards a major development on the road to the treaty of peace.
        We also look forward to achieve results in the negotiation with
    Syria and Lebanon, recognizing the importance of making progress in
    these areas. The positive conclusion of negotiations with the Arab
    neighbors will bring about a real comprehensive peace and will open the
    road to stability and prosperity for all the peoples and states in the
    region.
        Mr. President, in a letter that I wrote to you at the beginning of
    this year, I expressed Israel's readiness to take risks for the sake of
    peace. I was more than thankful, Mr. President, for your statement in
    which you declared your readiness to minimize the risk that Israel is
    willing to take for peace. Indeed, Mr. President, you have taken
    effective steps in this spirit.
        In our talks today, we discussed the ways and the methods by which
    we should proceed in the peace negotiations and also to find additional
    means to strengthen Israel in view of the threats to the security of the
    state and to provide safety to its population. Mr. President, peace and
    stability in the Middle East are threatened daily by yet another danger,
    the offensive mounted by the forces of radicalism and extremism. The
    offensive is twofold, against any Arab moderate, pragmatic regimes as
    such, and against the peace process. Our discussions today also dwelt on
    this issue, and we agreed to initiate on ongoing dialog between us as
    well as with the other concerned parties.
        Mr. President, we all appreciate the firm position that you have
    taken against the Arab boycott. The boycott can never be accepted and
    certainly not when the peace process is being advanced. For the people
    of Israel to support the government's peace policy, they must feel that
    the attitudes and the atmosphere have actually changed after September
    13th. We feel that our goodwill is yet to be matched.
        On the plane that brought me to the United States, there came two
    parents, the Katz family, whose son, Yehuda, has been missing in action
    since 1982. We are investing serious efforts to bring back Yehuda and
    all the other MIA's and prisoners. Your government and other friendly
    nations have helped in this humanitarian mission. We trust that you will
    continue in this sacred task.
        Today, you have gracefully told me and all the Israelis of your
    decision to strengthen the security of Israel. More specifically, your
    decision to continue the level of security assistance, to maintain our
    qualitative edge through the supply of advanced aircraft, the lifting of
    technological barriers, especially in the field of computers, and your
    decision to beef up our capacity to defend ourselves against missiles is
    most significant.
        Mr. President, I return home stronger in

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    many aspects, more confident in our ability to reach peace, and
    reassured that thousands of miles away from Israel, we have a true
    friend in the White House that we can rely on.
        On this occasion I would like in very simple words to say to you and
    to you, to the Vice President, the Secretaries of State and Defense,
    your administration, and the American people, thank you, and God bless
    you.

    Middle East Peace Process

        Q. Mr. President, you said the peace between Israel and Syria is
    essential for reaching a comprehensive peace in the region. What does
    the administration intend to do to advance peace talks between Israel
    and Syria? And did you hear anything from the Prime Minister that would
    encourage you to either send Secretary Christopher back to the region or
    facilitate some sort of back-channel, behind-the-scenes talks to get
    those talks moving?
        The President. You can see by the question, Mr. Prime Minister, it's
    hard for the United States to facilitate talks out of the press.
    [Laughter]
        We discussed the whole question of the relationship between Israel
    and Syria, what the United States could do. The Prime Minister
    reaffirmed his belief that peace in the Middle East would require
    progress on all the tracks, including the tracks with Syria and Lebanon.
    And we discussed some specific things that we will be exploring, the
    United States, over the next several weeks. Beyond that, I think I
    shouldn't go. But I feel confident that we'll be able to continue to
    pursue this.
        Yes, ma'am?

    PLO Terrorism

        Q. Mr. President, we heard Mr. Rabin condemn the PLO for the recent
    attack on a Jewish settler 2 weeks ago. Do you share the view that it's
    a violation of the PLO-Israeli agreement? And were you just urging
    Chairman Arafat to renounce it?
        The President. I agree with what the Prime Minister said. I think
    that Chairman Arafat now, under the terms of the agreement, is duty-
    bound at a minimum to condemn it. I think we all recognize that he may
    not have total control over everyone who acts in the name of Fatah, but
    he is now bound by the terms, the clear terms of the agreement, to
    condemn it.
        Is anyone here from the Israeli press we could acknowledge?

    Jonathan Pollard

        Q. Mr. President, are you considering the release of Jonathan
    Pollard? And Mr. Prime Minister, did you raise this issue with the
    President?
        The President. Perhaps I could answer both questions. The Prime
    Minister did raise the issue with me. We discussed it, and I explained
    that under our procedures here, I cannot make a decision on the Pollard
    case until the Justice Department makes a recommendation to me. Under
    the United States Constitution, I do not have to follow the
    recommendation of the Justice Department, but under our procedures I
    have to get one. And when I get one--it won't be too long in the
    future--I will then review it and make a decision.
        Rita [Rita Braver, CBS News].

    Technological Support to Israel

        Q. Mr. President, from Prime Minister Rabin's remarks it sounded
    like you have decided to sell Israel or make available to Israel, the F-
    15E fighter jet. Is that true? And can you tell us a little bit more
    about the technological and weaponry support that you're going to give
    the Israelis?
        The President. Well, we are working on an agreement to make
    available a number of planes to the Israelis. The Prime Minister is
    going to meet with Secretary Aspin on Monday, and they are going to try
    to work through the details. And I think I should wait until they have
    done that, and we'll be able to make an announcement I think shortly
    after that. But there will be a number of planes being made available to
    Israel as part of this ongoing effort between us.
        Someone else from the Israeli press.

    Israel-Jordan Relations

        Q. Mr. President, can we expect a new three-way handshake, I mean,
    this time with maybe King Hussein within the duration of the Prime
    Minister's visit in America?
        The President. Not on this visit. But nothing would please me more
    than to have another visit where that would occur. But I think not on
    this visit.

    NAFTA and Health Care Reform

        Q. Mr. President, on the subject of NAFTA,

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    a number of Congressmen from tobacco States, such as Congressman Steve
    Neal, have suggested that if the tobacco tax that has been proposed for
    health care were reduced from 75 cents to 40 cents, that they might
    bring along 6 or 10 votes. Is that something that you would consider if
    you were short of votes, or is that something that you would completely,
    categorically rule out?
        The President. That issue has not been brought up to me, but I can
    tell you this: There were a lot of people who urged that we ought to
    have a $2-a-pack tobacco tax, if you remember. I asked for the 75 cents
    because that's what our searching effort, our agonizing effort to
    determine what the cost of this program would be turned up as what is
    needed. And therefore, I cannot foresee circumstances under which I
    would be willing to change that position, because it would imperil the
    whole health care program. So there has been no--I didn't want to raise
    any money from anybody to do anything other than to pay for the health
    care program, although I think that higher tobacco taxes discourage use,
    and that's a good thing. But that wasn't what was behind it. So----
        Q. ----votes at the end of the game?
        The President. I have no reason to believe that that will ever come
    into play. If it changes, I'll be glad to tell you, but I have no reason
    to believe that that will happen.
        Someone from the Israeli press?

    Middle East Peace Process

        Q. Mr. President, I have two questions actually. Are you going to
    send Secretary Christopher to the Middle East to activate the Syrian-
    Israeli track and to mount active support for the Palestinian agreement,
    or do you prefer to wait until Mr. Rabin gives you the green light to
    express desire to deal with Syria?
        The second one for Rabin. Mr. Rabin, are you ready to go for the--
    are you going to fight as--are you going to fight----
        Prime Minister Rabin. We are talking about peace, not the resumption
    of fighting.
        Q. No, I mean, in a domestic battle. Are you going to fight a
    domestic battle for an agreement with Syria right now, or do you still
    think that the Israeli public is not ready for it yet?
        The President. The answer to the first question is that we have not
    made a specific decision about when the Secretary will return to the
    Middle East. But we have ongoing contacts with Syria. You may know that
    I received the Foreign Minister of Syria here in the White House not
    very long ago. I have conversations from time to time with President
    Asad, and we will continue our dialog with them in working toward peace.
        Prime Minister Rabin. Israel has a long tradition of keeping its
    commitments. Whatever we take upon ourselves, every agreement that we
    sign, we will carry out. We expect those who sign with us agreements to
    keep, to fully keep, their commitments as we do. There is no need to
    fight. It's true, in Israel there is an opposition to the position that
    the government has taken, to the agreement that has been signed, to the
    ways to carry it out. But we are a democratic country and once the
    decision is taken, it is carried out.
        Q. Mr. President, both you and the Prime Minister mentioned the Arab
    boycott of Israel. You suggested in the past that should now be lifted.
    But so far, a number of America's closest friends in the Arab world have
    refused to take that step. Have you received any indications from the
    Saudis perhaps or from other Arab states that have been close to America
    that they're now prepared to take that step? And what can you do to try
    to get them to do that?
        The President. Let me answer you in this way: I have received some
    indications that the enforcement of the boycott is not as vigorous as it
    once was, but that some of the countries involved are reluctant to
    explicitly lift it. I wanted to raise the issue again today publicly
    because I believe that a big key toward achieving peace is maintaining
    support within the State of Israel for the peace process and for the
    risks that it entails.
        Perhaps the most important benefit of the ceremony here on September
    13th, even though it thrilled billions of people around the world, is
    that it clearly enhanced the willingness of the people of Israel to
    support the peace process.
        So I intend to continue to work on that. And I have some ideas about
    how I should do it, but I would rather wait until we have achieved more
    concrete results before talking about it.
        Someone else from Israel?
        Q. If Arafat doesn't condemn terror, should Israel suspend the talks
    with the PLO?
        The President. That will be a decision for Israel to make.

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        Q. Could the Prime Minister----
        Prime Minister Rabin. I believe that we have to stick to our
    commitments. I expect another side to keep its commitment. I will not
    answer on a hypothetical situation.
        The President. Mr. Friedman [Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times].
        Q. Arafat has been rather slow in getting the PLO organized to
    fulfill these negotiations. We've seen that on both the political and
    security front. I wondered if you could elaborate on (a) are you
    satisfied with the PLO's performance up to now in the negotiations, and
    (b) what will you do if the PLO does not condemn these actions?
        The President. On the second question, I don't think I can give a
    better answer than the Prime Minister did. I used to give that response.
    I should return to it more often, I think. But let me go back to the
    first question, which I think is quite important.
        I wish that the pace had been more rapid. But I think it is
    important to recognize that the PLO itself, by its very nature, by the
    nature of its organization and its activities over the last many, many
    years has never had the responsibility of going through the mechanics
    that have to be discussed in this agreement: How do the lights get
    turned on in the morning; how is the food distributed; how are the
    houses built? How are these things done? So I think, in fairness, I
    would be quite concerned if I thought that the fact that we're a little
    bit slow in the pace here was the result of some sort of deliberate
    desire to undermine an accord they had just signed off on.
        At the present moment, I really believe it is more a function of the
    whole organization not being organized for or experienced in the work in
    which they must now engage. And so the Prime Minister and I talked about
    this quite a bit, and we still have high hopes that if the timetable is
    not met, at least it can be nearly met for the conclusion of these
    specific and concrete things. I think it is more a function of this is
    sort of an alien role for them, and I think they're working into it. But
    I'm hopeful now that there is a level of engagement which will permit us
    to push it through to success.
        Press Secretary Myers. Last question.
        Q. I would like to ask you a question concerning the agreement, the
    peace agreements. There was a discussion that what was needed was
    economic development. There were a number of projects on the Gaza
    concerning water, canals, energy resources, et cetera. I'd like to ask,
    what is your estimate of the magnitude of funding needed in order to get
    these projects into motion? And also, what are the consequences if these
    projects are not realized within a certain amount of time in the Gaza?
    And perhaps the Prime Minister would like to answer that question, too.
        Prime Minister Rabin. As of today, Israel supplies all the
    electricity needs of the Gaza and the West Bank. There is no shortage of
    electricity there. The question, what will be the projects that will be
    built there, how much the consumption of energy and other items
    including water--we continue also to add to the water supplies of Gaza
    by a pipeline that supplies them water. We need to negotiate all this
    before we negotiate to tall figures. It will not be a serious statement.
        The President. But let me respond, though, to that. When we had the
    donors' conference here, working both individually and multilaterally,
    we have commitments over the next few years for several billion dollars
    and a few hundred million dollars right off the bat. We think that's
    enough to make a big difference.
        I have asked our people to identify some specific high return, quick
    investment infrastructure projects that could be instituted and effected
    quickly that would have a significant economic benefit to the people in
    the affected areas that we could proceed with just as quickly as the
    agreements make that possible. So I think there's money there to do what
    needs to be done in the near term once there is a system which
    guarantees that the investments, whether they be in infrastructure or
    new economic development, will have the result that we want.
        Brit [Brit Hume, ABC News].
        Q. Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to ask the Prime Minister, if
    I could, something about what you said to Mr. Clinton today about the
    Pollard case and why the matter continues to be such a priority with
    you, sir.
        Prime Minister Rabin. I don't believe it would be advisable to me to
    add on this issue to what the President said.
        The President. One last question from the Israeli press.
        Q. I'd like to ask you, in the near future will you send a new
    ambassador to Tel Aviv? When do you think the time will come to move
    your Embassy to Jerusalem?

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        The President. I think from the question you ask you know what my
    long-standing position on that issue has been. But I have to resort to
    the position that I have taken on this ever since these talks began, and
    that is that the United States should not at this time make any
    statement which in any way injects the United States into a peace
    process that must be carried out by the parties themselves. And for me
    to say anything about that one way or the other at this moment in my
    judgment would run the risk of throwing the process out of kilter. There
    will be time to discuss that and to make statements about that later on
    down the road at a more ripe occasion.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President's 33d news conference began at 12:11 p.m. in the
    East Room at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Jonathan
    Pollard, U.S. Navy employee convicted of selling national security
    information to Israel.