    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [April 4, 2002]
    [Pages 546-548]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Situation in the Middle East
    April 4, 2002

        Good morning. During the course of one week, the situation in the
    Middle East has deteriorated dramatically. Last Wednesday, my Special
    Envoy, Anthony Zinni, reported to me that we
    were on the verge of a cease-fire agreement that would have spared
    Palestinian and Israeli lives. That hope fell away when a terrorist
    attacked a group of innocent people in a Netanya hotel, killing many men
    and women in what is a mounting toll of terror.
        In the days since, the world has watched with growing concern the
    horror of bombings and burials and the stark picture of tanks in the
    street. Across the world, people are grieving for Israelis and
    Palestinians who have lost their lives.
        When an 18-year-old Palestinian girl is induced to blow herself up
    and in the process kills a 17-year-old Israeli girl, the future itself
    is dying--the future of the Palestinian people and the future of the
    Israeli people. We mourn the dead, and we mourn the damage done to the
    hope of peace, the hope of Israel's and the Israelis' desire for a
    Jewish state at peace with its neighbors, the hope of the Palestinian
    people to build their own independent state.
        Terror must be stopped. No nation can negotiate with terrorists, for
    there is no way to make peace with those whose only goal is death.
        This could be a hopeful moment in the Middle East. The proposal of
    Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia,
    supported by the Arab League, has put a number of countries in the Arab
    world closer than ever to recognizing Israel's right to exist. The
    United States is on record supporting the legitimate aspirations of the
    Palestinian people for a Palestinian state. Israel has recognized the
    goal of a Palestinian state. The outlines of a just settlement are
    clear: two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace
    and security.
        This can be a time for hope, but it calls for leadership, not for
    terror. Since September the 11th, I've delivered this message: Everyone
    must choose; you're either with the civilized world, or you're with the
    terrorists. All in the Middle East also must choose and must move
    decisively in word and deed against terrorist acts.
        The Chairman of the Palestinian Authority
    has not consistently opposed or confronted terrorists. At Oslo and
    elsewhere, Chairman Arafat renounced terror as an instrument of his
    cause, and he agreed to control it. He's not done so.
        The situation in which he finds himself
    today is largely of his own making. He's missed his opportunities and
    thereby betrayed the hopes of the people he's supposed to lead. Given
    his failure, the Israeli Government feels it must strike at terrorist
    networks that are killing its citizens.
        Yet, Israel must understand that its response to these recent
    attacks is only a temporary measure. All parties have their own
    responsibilities, and all parties owe it to their own people to act.
        We all know today's situation runs the risk of aggravating long-term
    bitterness and undermining relationships that are critical to any hope
    of peace. I call on the Palestinian people, the Palestinian Authority,
    and our friends in the Arab world to join us in delivering a clear
    message to terrorists: Blowing yourself up does not help the Palestinian
    cause. To the contrary, suicide bombing missions could well blow up the
    best and only hope for a Palestinian state.
        All states must keep their promise, made in a vote in the United
    Nations, to actively oppose terror in all its forms. No nation can pick
    and choose its terrorist friends. I call on the Palestinian Authority
    and all governments in the region to do everything in their power to
    stop terrorist activities, to disrupt terrorist financing, and to stop

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    inciting violence by glorifying terror in state-owned media or telling
    suicide bombers they are martyrs. They're not martyrs. They're
    murderers. And they undermine the cause of the Palestinian people.
        Those governments, like Iraq, that reward parents for the sacrifice
    of their children are guilty of soliciting murder of the worst kind. All
    who care about the Palestinian people should join in condemning and
    acting against groups like Al-Aqsa, Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and
    all groups which oppose the peace process and seek the destruction of
    Israel.
        The recent Arab League support of Crown Prince Abdullah's initiative for peace is promising, is
    hopeful, because it acknowledges Israel's right to exist. And it raises
    the hope of sustained, constructive Arab involvement in the search for
    peace. This builds on a tradition of visionary leadership, begun by
    President Sadat and King Hussein and carried forward by President
    Mubarak and King Abdullah. Now other Arab states must rise to this occasion and
    accept Israel as a nation and as a neighbor.
        Peace with Israel is the only avenue to prosperity and success for a
    new Palestinian state. The Palestinian people deserve peace and an
    opportunity to better their lives. They need their closest neighbor,
    Israel, to be an economic partner, not a mortal enemy. They deserve a
    government that respects human rights and a government that focuses on
    their needs, education and health care, rather than feeding their
    resentments.
        It is not enough for Arab nations to defend the Palestinian cause.
    They must truly help the Palestinian people by seeking peace and
    fighting terror and promoting development.
        Israel faces hard choices of its own. Its Government has supported
    the creation of a Palestinian state that is not a haven for terrorism.
    Yet, Israel also must recognize that such a state needs to be
    politically and economically viable.
        Consistent with the Mitchell plan, Israeli settlement activity in
    occupied territories must stop. And the occupation must end through
    withdrawal to secure and recognized boundaries consistent with United
    Nations Resolutions 242 and 338. Ultimately, this approach should be the
    basis of agreements between Israel and Syria, and Israel and Lebanon.
        Israel should also show a respect--a respect for and concern about
    the dignity of the Palestinian people who are and will be their
    neighbors. It is crucial to distinguish between the terrorists and
    ordinary Palestinians seeking to provide for their own families. The
    Israeli Government should be compassionate at checkpoints and border
    crossings, sparing innocent Palestinians daily humiliation. Israel
    should take immediate action to ease closures and allow peaceful people
    to go back to work.
        Israel is facing a terrible and serious challenge. For 7 days, it
    has acted to root out terrorist nests. America recognizes Israel's right
    to defend itself from terror. Yet, to lay the foundations of future
    peace, I ask Israel to halt incursions into Palestinian-controlled areas
    and begin the withdrawal from those cities it has recently occupied. I
    speak as a committed friend of Israel. I speak out of a concern for its
    long-term security, a security that will come with a genuine peace.
        As Israel steps back, responsible Palestinian leaders and Israel's
    Arab neighbors must step forward and show the world that they are truly
    on the side of peace. The choice and the burden will be theirs. The
    world expects an immediate cease-fire, immediate resumption of security
    cooperation with Israel against terrorism, an immediate order to crack
    down on terrorist networks. I expect better leadership, and I expect
    results.
        These are the elements of peace in the Middle East, and now we must
    build the road to those goals. Decades of bitter experience teach a
    clear lesson: Progress is impossible when nations emphasize their

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    grievances and ignore their opportunities. The storms of violence cannot
    go on. Enough is enough.
        And to those who would try to use the current crisis as an
    opportunity to widen the conflict: Stay out. Iran's arms shipments and
    support for terror fuel the fire of conflict in the Middle East, and it
    must stop. Syria has spoken out against Al Qaida. We expect it to act
    against Hamas and Hezbollah as well. It's time for Iran to focus on
    meeting its own people's aspirations for freedom, and for Syria to
    decide which side of the war against terror it is on.
        The world finds itself at a critical moment. This is a conflict that
    can widen or an opportunity we can seize. And so I've decided to send
    Secretary of State Powell to the region next
    week to seek broad international support for the vision I've outlined*
    today. As a step in this process, he will work to implement United
    Nations Resolution 1402, an immediate and meaningful cease-fire, an end
    to terror and violence and incitement, withdrawal of Israeli troops from
    Palestinian cities, including Ramallah, implementation of the already
    agreed-upon Tenet and Mitchell plans, which will lead to a political
    settlement.
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        *White House correction.
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        I have no illusions; we have no illusions about the difficulty of
    the issues that lie ahead. Yet, our Nation's resolve is strong. America
    is committed to ending this conflict and beginning an era of peace.
        We know this is possible, because in our lifetimes we have seen an
    end to conflicts that no one thought could end. We've seen fierce
    enemies let go of long histories of strife and anger. America itself
    counts former adversaries as trusted friends: Germany and Japan and now
    Russia.
        Conflict is not inevitable. Distrust need not be permanent. Peace is
    possible when we break free of old patterns and habits of hatred. The
    violence and grief that trouble the Holy Land have been among the great
    tragedies of our time. The Middle East has often been left behind in the
    political and economic advancement of the world. That is the history of
    the region, but it need not and must not be its fate.
        The Middle East could write a new story of trade and development and
    democracy. And we stand ready to help. Yet, this progress can only come
    in an atmosphere of peace. And the United States will work for all the
    children of Abraham to know the benefits of peace.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 11 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Chairman Yasser Arafat of the
    Palestinian Authority; President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt; and King
    Abdullah II of Jordan.