    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [January 20, 1998]
    [Pages 80-81]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Exchange With Reporters Prior to Discussions With Prime Minister
    Binyamin Netanyahu of Israel
    January 20, 1998

    Cuba-U.S. Relations

        Q. Good morning, Mr. President.
        The President. Good morning.
        Q. Mr. President, Cuba is about to be in the news. What does the
    United States gain from pressing the embargo?
        The President. Well, let me say, our position on that is that we
    want Cuba to move toward freedom and openness, and if they do, we'll
    respond. That's always been our position, and I believe in the end it
    will prevail.

    Middle East Peace Process

        Q. Mr. President, on the Middle East, Mr. Arafat is talking with
    some threatening phrases, speaking of maybe the intifada will be
    resumed. And of course, the Prime Minister said last night that's no way
    to negotiate. How do you feel about----
        The President. I agree with that. I think if he makes an observation
    that if this whole thing fails, that it won't be good, then that's
    understandable. But I don't think it should be encouraged. I've really
    looked forward to this week. I've worked hard to get ready for the
    meeting. I'm anxious to begin my sixth meeting with the Prime Minister
    and then to see Mr. Arafat in a couple of
    days. And I think we have to have a positive attitude. We need to be
    reassuring to people. We don't want to undermine any confidence. We need
    to keep working.
        Q. Mr. President, you said yesterday that you had high hopes, and
    that seems out of step with some of the views of your top officials
    here. What makes you have high hopes for these talks?
        The President. Well, I've often been out of step, in having high
    hopes, with a lot of people. It may be a defect in my nature, but I
    think--for one thing I think that Israel wants peace and a resolution of
    this. And I believe that it's very much in the interests of the
    Palestinians and Mr. Arafat to seek to resolve
    it, and we're working very hard. I've just found that, more often than
    not, you ultimately have success if you stay at something and keep
    working at it in good faith.
        Q. Mr. President, could you just tell us what you believe a credible
    withdrawal would be? And does Chairman Arafat need to do anything before
    such a withdrawal should take place?
        The President. I think that's a conversation I need to have with the
    Prime Minister first. I don't--and I will do that.

    Prime Minister Netanyahu's Cabinet

        Q. Mr. Netanyahu, may I ask you one question, please? Are you in a
    more difficult situation because of the new makeup of your Cabinet,

    [[Page 81]]

    because it's a smaller coalition? Is it more difficult for you to make
    concessions and to negotiate?
        Prime Minister Netanyahu. This is a difficult day for me because
    I've lost a good friend, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Education.
    But the composition of the government is irrelevant. The people who
    could topple the government before Mr. Levi departed could topple it
    after he departed. And I say to them what I say to everyone here and to
    President Clinton: We made a decision to go to peace. This is what this
    government is about, peace with security. And I am sure that I can
    muster the necessary support across the government and across the
    coalition for something that will move the peace process forward and
    maintain secure and defensible boundaries for Israel.
        Q. And you believe you have enough support within your now more
    limited government to pass any sort of vote for withdrawal, for further
    Israeli withdrawal?
        Prime Minister Netanyahu. For a withdrawal that will ensure our
    defenses, that is what we're prepared to do. We're prepared to move
    forward, but not to jeopardize the security of the State of Israel.

    [At this point, one group of reporters left the room, and another group
    entered.]

    Prime Minister Netanyahu's Visit

        The President. Welcome. Let me just briefly say that I am delighted
    to see the Prime Minister again. This is our sixth meeting. I'm looking
    forward to it. We're working hard to make progress, and I want to
    reaffirm to the people of Israel the strong support of the United States
    for Israel and the strong support of the United States for the security
    of Israel and a peace process that proceeds within that commitment. And
    I think we can succeed.
        Q. Mr. President, what are your expectations from the meeting with
    the Prime Minister?
        The President. That we're going to have a good-faith, detailed,
    frank discussion and do our best to make some progress. And I think
    we've got a chance to do that.

    Middle East Peace Process

        Q. Are you going to pressure Mr. Netanyahu to give concessions to
    the Palestinians?
        The President. I'm going to have a discussion with him about where
    we think the peace process is. I wouldn't use that word. Israel has to
    make its own decisions about its own security and its own future.
        Q. Who do you think is breaching the agreement more severely, more
    seriously, the Israelis or the Palestinians?
        The President. I don't think it's fruitful to discuss that. I think
    what we ought to talk about is what both sides can do now to get the
    peace process moving again. That's the most important thing.

    Note: The exchange began at 10:19 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White
    House. In his remarks, Prime Minister Netanyahu referred to the late
    Zevulun Hammer, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and
    Culture, and David Levi, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
    Foreign Affairs of Israel. A tape was not available for verification of
    the content of this exchange.