    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
    [October 2, 1996]
    [Pages 1738-1742]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's News Conference With Middle Eastern Leaders
    October 2, 1996

        The President. Good afternoon. Please be seated. The four of us have
    agreed that I will speak about our 2 days of meetings and then do my
    best to faithfully answer questions that you have about it. And of
    course, the other three leaders will have a chance to be heard after the
    press conference.
        I'd like to begin by thanking King Hussein, Prime Minister
    Netanyahu, and Chairman Arafat for coming here to Washington at this
    critical and very difficult moment for the Middle East peace process.
    Their journey reflects a true commitment to peace and an understanding
    that there is no alternative to the path of peace their people have
    traveled so far along in the last few years.
        I invited them here with three urgent goals in mind: first, to seek
    to curb the terrible violence and death that we saw last week; second,
    to get the Israelis and Palestinians talking again at the highest
    levels; and third, to help both parties return to the hard work of
    building peace through negotiations. Today I can report progress on
    these goals.
        First, the Israelis and Palestinians clearly are talking again at
    the highest levels. I believe the calm, constructive, face-to-face
    meetings Prime Minister Netanyahu and Chairman Arafat have had here will
    help to build trust between them and promote progress on the issues that
    still divide them. The Prime Minister and the Chairman agree that they
    are partners in peace, understand that it is vital to take into account
    each other's needs and concerns, and realize the importance of removing
    the frictions between them.
        Second, the Prime Minister and Chairman Arafat have recommitted
    themselves to a nonviolent future, to renouncing violence in the
    resolution of their disputes.
        Third, they are ready to renew and intensify negotiations on
    implementing the Interim Agreement, with Hebron as the first priority.
    They are committed to engaging immediately in talks and to achieving
    tangible progress quickly. To assist them in this effort I am sending
    Dennis Ross, our Special Middle East Coordinator, to the region now. The
    very first meeting will take place on Sunday morning at Erez. They want
    to resolve the problem of Israeli redeployment from Hebron, and they
    want to achieve this as soon as possible. I might point out that these
    talks will be occurring continuously, and these will be the first
    continuous peace talks that have been held since the Prime Minister
    assumed office with the Palestinians.
        Finally, the leaders also understand the need to make arrangements
    between their security forces so that cooperation is more reliable and
    the situation on the ground is stabilized. They are prepared to do what
    is needed to achieve that as well.
        All of us should put the meetings we have had over the last 2 days
    into the proper perspective. The peace process did not start today, and
    it will not be finished tomorrow. For 3 years now the Israelis and the
    Palestinians have been moving forward along the path to a lasting peace.
    Every step is hard. It requires both sides to make difficult decisions
    and to keep their eyes fixed on the prize of lasting peace. But the
    progress they have made has proved to the world that progress is
    possible and peace is pos-

    [[Page 1739]]

    sible. Both sides know there is no turning back. Just as there can be no
    peace without security, there can be no true security without peace.
        I believe Prime Minister Netanyahu and Chairman Arafat understand
    the choice they face every day. It is the choice between cooperation and
    conflict, between progress and regression, between hope and fear. The
    Israeli and Palestinian people have chosen to strive for cooperation,
    progress, and hope. Now it falls to their leaders to guide them toward
    those goals, to help them stay true to their choice, and ultimately, to
    succeed.
        In this effort, we are all profoundly privileged to have a partner
    in King Hussein. He has shown the world equal parts of courage and
    wisdom, and he has especially shown that here this week. I thank him for
    being here. I rely on his counsel. The peace process has no better
    friend.
        Most of all, let me again thank Prime Minister Netanyahu and
    Chairman Arafat, who came here at very difficult times, with tensions
    high. I am convinced they both want a more peaceful, prosperous future
    for their people. I am convinced they both want a more secure future for
    their people. And I believe they are both prepared to do the hard work
    that is necessary to achieve their goals.
        For our part, the United States will always be there to help. We
    remain committed to our common goal, a just, lasting, and comprehensive
    peace in the Middle East. We recognize our special responsibility to
    protect the peace process at moments of extreme difficulty, to help move
    it forward. We have embraced this responsibility because those who take
    risks for peace must be able to count on the United States.
        Mr. Hunt [Terence Hunt, Associated Press].
        Q. Mr. President, after these marathon negotiations--we're told they
    went nonstop through the night--was there any narrowing of differences
    on the fundamental disputes? You mentioned Hebron, as well as the tunnel
    in East Jerusalem. Or are the problems that exploded last week in
    violence still festering?
        The President. I would say that the problems that exploded last week
    in violence--that the problems are still there; the differences are
    still there. But I believe there is a higher level of understanding and
    a higher level of trust than existed before these talks began. They were
    not able to resolve their differences here. But to be fair, when we came
    together, there were no advance guarantees that there would be large-
    scale substantive negotiations. We knew we only had about a day and a
    half to work here. And they got the most out of it. I think that a lot
    of people on both sides have hardly slept.
        And frankly, the agreement that was made here to immediately restart
    these negotiations and to do them on a full-time basis until agreement
    is reached on the critical issues, including Hebron, is encouraging to
    me. And I think that it comes out of the different feeling that they
    have about dealing with one another--I hope it does--and also a sense of
    urgency, given what has happened in the region in the last several days.
        Yes, sir, in the back.
        Q. Mr. President, is there a target date for ending the negotiations
    on the question of Hebron and also on other outstanding questions
    between Israel and the Palestinian Authority? Or is it negotiations
    without a target date?
        The President. There was no specific date set, but I think it's
    important to point out that what they did agree to do was to start
    immediately on a full-time basis with a priority on speed and a priority
    on Hebron. This is not--this is the first negotiations that these
    parties have undertaken since Mr. Netanyahu became Prime Minister that
    have been on a full-time, in effect, permanent basis. And I am convinced
    that both sides want as quick as possible resolution.
        Yes.
        Q. Mr. President, you said one of your goals was to end the cycle of
    violence in the Middle East. But today Israeli troops shot to death one
    Palestinian and wounded five others, and the negotiations that will take
    place are on issues that were supposedly settled a year ago here in
    Washington. Have you even--you spoke about progress, but it would seem
    you're back at square one.
        The President. Well, I wouldn't say that. There's been a clear
    commitment not to renegotiate agreements by which both sides are bound
    but instead to talk about the implementation steps necessary to
    implement those agreements. And I think that there is a clear
    distinction there first.
        Second, the level of violence at least, thank God, has declined in
    the last several days, and they are committed to taking it down as close
    to zero as they can. I believe you will see progress on that as they go
    back home. When we compare where we are today with where

    [[Page 1740]]

    we were a week ago, are we in better shape? Yes. Are we where I'd like
    to be? No. But we will get there, I think, if we keep working.
        Yes.
        Q. Mr. President, would you please tell us if Mr. Netanyahu has
    pledged to remove the tanks and the soldiers inside Palestinian
    territory which has been liberated, if you will, and it is now the
    Palestinian Authority, as well? Because the Palestinians are choked to
    death financially, economically. And if there is quiet now, will you,
    Mr. Netanyahu, remove, through your offices, these tanks and these
    soldiers and create a harmonious, self-confidence-building measures to
    facilitate for the Palestinians to live like the rest of human beings
    around the world?
        The President. Let me say that that and many other issues were
    discussed. Every issue that you would like to know was discussed, was
    discussed in the last 2 days. But I believe that anything that was not
    in my statement, I feel bound to let the leaders speak for themselves
    on. And I ask you and I ask the people of the Middle East, I ask the
    Palestinians and others, to give us a few more days to let this thing
    unfold. Give us a few more days to see whether these negotiations start,
    whether they're proceeding in good faith, whether progress can be made.
        I guess the message I want to send out across the Middle East is,
    I'm convinced that this process and that these parties are in better
    shape in their relation to one another than they were 2 days ago. And
    please, please give us a chance to make this thing work in the days
    ahead.
        Go ahead, Brit [Brit Hume, ABC News].
        Q. Mr. President, as Gene [Gene Gibbons, Reuters] mentioned earlier,
    some of these things were thought to have been agreed upon before. And
    I'm wondering whether you think it is fair to say not that the process
    has broken down but that there has been a major setback here from which
    you have not yet at least fully recovered.
        The President. Well, what I think has happened is that we have not
    made as much progress as I wish we had. But the Israeli Government has
    made it very clear that they have no intention of renegotiating the Oslo
    Agreements, the Interim Agreement. Everything that the Government is
    bound by by previous action they intend to honor. But we are now in a
    stage which we would have been in anyway, talking about how to implement
    this. And then there are the security questions which have been raised,
    which the parties have agreed to talk about to try to resolve between
    the two of them as a result of the events of the last several days.
        But I do not expect there to be an effort to undermine the
    agreements which have been made. The question is, can we get the
    negotiations on a track so that they can be implemented in a hurry. That
    is the issue.
        Yes, ma'am.
        Q. Mr. President, you mention in your statement about the issue of
    Jerusalem and the tunnel that started the whole situation. Has there
    been any talk or any agreement that Israel will not do anything to
    change the status of Jerusalem before the final status negotiations
    start? Thank you.
        The President. Well, there might be a--let me say, first of all, the
    tunnel was discussed at some length by the parties and all the aspects
    of it, all the various elements of the controversy, were discussed. No
    agreement was reached between them about that issue, and that's why it
    is not in my statement. But I think there were some significant
    discussions held. And again, the other question you asked me I think is
    part of the terms of the agreement by which all parties are bound; that
    is, to not to do anything to upset the balance of issues that have to be
    part of the final status negotiations.
        Yes, Helen [Helen Thomas, United Press International].
        Q. Mr. President, you're showing a lot of trust in the word of
    Israel to keep these commitments in terms of the status of Jerusalem,
    pulling troops out of Hebron; they were supposed to be done last March.
    What has restored your trust? And haven't you really struck out in
    getting any kind of firm commitment on anything?
        The President. Well, we never agreed--there was never an agreement
    when these parties came here to have substantive negotiations. Nothing
    would make me happier if we had--I wish we had resolved everything in 2
    days, but I didn't expect to do it. What I'm trying to do was to get
    people together and say, ``We'll stop the violence. We will immediately
    begin to talk--immediately--about Hebron and the other issues. We will
    immediately begin to try to resolve these disputes over the security
    matters which are preventing more rapid progress.''
        I am very pleased by the agreement that was reached, actually today
    before we came out, to

    [[Page 1741]]

    start the negotiations on Sunday morning and to do it on a full-time
    continuous basis, with a mutual commitment to resolve these things as
    quickly as possible.
        I'm not asking any of you to trust anybody about anything. I'm
    saying give us some time now to let the thing cool down and to let these
    full-time negotiations get underway, and look at what results are
    produced, and make your judgments based on what actually happens. Let's
    don't overreact now. We're in better shape than we were 2 days ago. We
    still have a huge amount of work to do, but the parties have to resolve
    that between themselves, and I think they have committed themselves to a
    process which makes that possible.
        Yes, sir.
        Q. Mr. President, you called the parties here because there was a
    crisis. Do you really feel and assess that this crisis is over and the
    two parties that came here did the best they could to avoid further
    bloodshed in the region? Are you satisfied with their effort?
        The President. Well, I am satisfied that--I don't know that the
    crisis is over. What I am satisfied is, is that the level of--I hope the
    level of violence has been brought lower and can be maintained lower, at
    a lower level, while all the people in the Middle East watch as these
    talks unfold.
        Keep in mind--keep in mind--let me ask you this. When you try to
    evaluate whether we did the right thing or not, or whether this has been
    worth doing, imagine what we would be reading in the press or seeing on
    the news if Chairman Arafat and King Hussein and Prime Minister
    Netanyahu had not come here and if everyone had withdrawn sort of to
    their respective positions and the turbulence that we were seeing in the
    region kept welling up. Imagine where we would be then. And keep in
    mind, too, that everybody who is here made a good-faith effort to
    address every single issue in the interim agreement, all the issues that
    they are bound to resolve, and to full-time negotiations beginning
    Sunday morning.
        So I'm just saying I think that they worked very hard--and their
    teams hardly slept at all, and they didn't sleep much--they worked very
    hard to put all these issues out, to see where they were, to identify
    the points of difference. I think when they start these full-time
    negotiations, they'd know a great deal about where they are now. And
    they should be given a little bit of time here to see if they can't
    produce some results. That's the only thing I'm saying. And I think they
    have all earned the right to that by coming here and proceeding in a
    good-faith manner.
        Yes, Rita [Rita Braver, CBS News].
        Q. Mr. President, in the past when you have had the leaders here,
    just about any leaders from any countries, we have always heard from
    them in the White House, even if they go off and have their own news
    conferences later. Why can't we hear from them here today? And doesn't
    it seem to send a message that things really have broken down, the fact
    that they're not going to be able to speak within the auspices of the
    White House?
        The President. They're certainly free to speak. It was my
    understanding that they thought it would be better if I spoke and
    answered the questions, and I'll tell you why. Keep in mind--consider
    the commitment they have made. They have come here after a period of
    days when the entire peace process could have been wrecked; when many,
    many people, innocent people, died; when there was no communications.
    And they have agreed to restore the peace, to commit themselves to a
    nonviolent future and a way of resolving their differences and to begin
    immediate talks on a full-time basis to deal with these issues. That's
    what they've agreed to do.
        Now, think of all the questions you're asking me here today about
    all the things we didn't do. We didn't do them. Think of the questions
    you asked--all the things we didn't agree to. Then you can ask them all
    the things we didn't do. And if one of us talks instead of four, the
    chances that we will say something that will make our work harder Sunday
    morning are less than if all four of us answer all these hard questions
    about what hasn't been done yet. Let's don't kid around. What we're
    trying to do is to avoid saying anything that will make our progress
    more difficult. We want to enhance the chances that we'll actually get
    something done.
        Yes.
        Q. Mr. President, are you satisfied with the level of good faith on
    both sides, and there are any American assurances to both sides about
    the involvement of the United States and the good faith of the other
    side?
        The President. I can only tell you how I feel, first of all. All
    these things are matters of feeling

    [[Page 1742]]

    and trust, which is why you shouldn't minimize the hours that these
    leaders have spent with each other. I personally feel that the prospects
    for progress are more likely than I did 2 days ago. And I have told both
    parties that the United States will do whatever we can to support the
    peace process and to support the parties, and to make it a profitable
    thing to move forward in a constructive way, and to minimize the risks
    of peace. This is a risky business. And so, yes, I think I've made that
    clear, and I'll do my best to be there every step of the way.
        Yes, Wolf [Wolf Blitzer, CNN]. Last question.
        Q. Mr. President, with all due respect, can I follow up on Rita
    Braver's question? When we see the three leaders sitting here behind
    you, you say you want to urge everyone in the Middle East to be
    reassured, to calm down, to take this process seriously, but this news
    conference is being seen in the Middle East, all over the world, and
    when we don't hear your guests describe their feelings, we can only
    assume that they so disagree on these fundamental issues that these 2
    days of negotiations have been a failure.
        The President. Well, I'll tell you what I'll do----
        Q. So why not let them speak?
        The President. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'm telling you, the only
    reason that they asked me to do this is because you've asked me some
    very interesting and difficult questions, some of which would be even
    more difficult for them to answer than for me. So they wanted me to
    answer it so we wouldn't, any of us, say anything that would wreck what
    we're trying to do Sunday morning. But if they would like to come up--
    and since I've answered my last question, if they would--if any of them
    would like to come up and make a brief statement, or all of them would,
    I would be happy to have them make a brief statement.
        Your Majesty, would you like to start? Anybody want to go?
        So, now this is a miracle. [Laughter] I didn't part the waters, but
    I have silenced the voices. [Laughter]
        Thank you very much. Thank you.

    Note: The President's 129th news conference began at 2:45 p.m. in the
    East Room at the White House. Present at the news conference were King
    Hussein I of Jordan, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of Israel, and
    Chairman Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian Authority.