[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
[April 14, 2004]
[Pages 571-576]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's News Conference With Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel
April 14, 2004

    President Bush. I'm pleased to welcome Prime Minister Sharon back to 
the White House. For more than 50 years, Israel has been a vital ally 
and a true friend of America. I've been proud to call the Prime Minister 
my friend. I really appreciate our discussions today. The policy of the 
United States is to help bring peace to the Middle East and to hope--
bring hope to the people of that region.
    On June 24, 2002, I laid out a vision to make this goal a reality. 
We then drafted the roadmap as the route to get us there. The heart of 
this vision is the responsibility of all parties--of Israel, of the 
Palestinian people, of the Arab states--to fight terror, to embrace 
democracy and reform, and to take the necessary steps for peace.
    Today, the Prime Minister told me of his decision to take such a 
step. Israel plans to remove certain military installations and all 
settlements from Gaza and certain military installations and settlements 
from the West Bank. These are historic and courageous actions. If all 
parties choose to embrace this moment, they can open the door to 
progress and put an end to one of the world's longest-running conflicts.
    Success will require the active efforts of many nations. Two days 
ago, I held important discussions with President Mubarak of Egypt, and I will soon meet with King Abdullah of Jordan. We're consulting closely with other 
key leaders in the region, in Europe, and with our Quartet partners, the 
EU, Russia, and the United Nations. These steps can open the door to 
progress toward a peaceful, democratic, viable Palestinian state. 
Working together, we can help build democratic Palestinian institutions 
as well as strong capabilities dedicated to fighting terror so that the 
Palestinian people can meet their obligations under the roadmap on the 
path to peace.
    This opportunity holds great promise for the Palestinian people to 
build a modern

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economy that will lift millions out of poverty, create the institutions 
and habits of liberty, and renounce the terror and violence that impede 
their aspirations and take a terrible toll on innocent life. The 
Palestinian people must insist on change and on a leadership that is 
committed to reform and progress and peace. We will help, but the most 
difficult work is theirs.
    The United States is strongly committed, and I am strongly 
committed, to the security of Israel as a vibrant Jewish state. I 
reiterate our steadfast commitment to Israel's security and to 
preserving and strengthening Israel's self-defense capability, including 
its right to defend itself against terror.
    The barrier being erected by Israel as a part of that security 
effort should, as your Government has stated, be a security, rather than 
political, barrier. It should be temporary rather than permanent, and 
therefore not prejudice any final status issues, including final 
borders. And its route should take into account, consistent with 
security needs, its impact on Palestinians not engaged in terrorist 
activities.
    In an exchange of letters today and in a statement I will release 
later today, I'm repeating to the Prime Minister my commitment to 
Israel's security. The United States will not prejudice the outcome of 
final status negotiations. That matter is for the parties. But the 
realities on the ground and in the region have changed greatly over the 
last several decades, and any final settlement must take into account 
those realities and be agreeable to the parties.
    The goal of two independent states has repeatedly been recognized in 
international resolutions and agreements, and it remains the key to 
resolving this conflict. The United States is strongly committed to 
Israel's security and well-being as a Jewish state. It seems clear that 
an agreed, just, fair, and realistic framework for a solution to the 
Palestinian refugee issue, as part of any final status agreement, will 
need to be found through the establishment of a Palestinian state and 
the settling of Palestinian refugees there, rather than Israel.
    As part of a final peace settlement, Israel must have secure and 
recognized borders which should emerge from negotiations between the 
parties, in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolutions 242 and 
338. In light of new realities on the ground, including already existing 
major Israeli population centers, it is unrealistic to expect that the 
outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return 
to the armistice lines of 1949, and all previous efforts to negotiate a 
two-state solution have reached the same conclusion. It is realistic to 
expect that any final status agreement will only be achieved on the 
basis of mutually agreed changes that reflect these realities.
    I commend Prime Minister Sharon for his bold and courageous decision 
to withdraw from Gaza and parts of the West Bank. I call on the 
Palestinians and their Arab neighbors to match that boldness and that 
courage. All of us must show the wisdom and the will to bring lasting 
peace to that region.
    Mr. Prime Minister, welcome to the White House.
    Prime Minister Sharon. Thank you. Thank you so much. I want to thank 
you, Mr. President, for your warm welcome and your strong support and 
friendship for the state of Israel.
    I came to you from a peaceseeking country. Despite the repeated 
terror attacks against us, the people of Israel continues to wish for 
the achievement of a viable peace in accordance with our Jewish 
tradition as outlined by Israel's prophets. Our people desires to be 
known for its achievements in the fields of culture, science, and 
technology, rather than in the battlefield. We are committed to make any 
effort to develop our country and society for our own benefit and for 
the benefit of the peoples of the region.
    In our meeting today, I presented to you the outlines of my 
disengagement plan. It

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will improve Israel's security and economy and will reduce friction and 
tension between Israelis and Palestinians. My plan will create a new and 
better reality for the state of Israel, and it also has the potential to 
create the right conditions to resume negotiations between Israel and 
the Palestinians.
    I was encouraged by your positive response and your support for my 
plan. In that context, you handed me a letter that includes very 
important statement regarding Israel's security and its well-being as a 
Jewish state. You have proven, Mr. President, your ongoing, deep, and 
sincere friendship to the state of Israel and to the Jewish people. I 
believe that my plan can be an important contribution to advancing your 
vision, which is the only viable way to achieve the peace and security 
in the Middle East.
    I wish to end with a personal note. I, myself, have been fighting 
terror for many years and understand the threats and cost from 
terrorism. In all these years, I have never met a leader as committed as 
you are, Mr. President, to the struggle for freedom and the need to 
confront terrorism wherever it exists. I want to express my appreciation 
to you for your courageous leadership in the war against global terror 
and your commitment and vision to bring peace to the Middle East.
    Thank you, Mr. President.
    President Bush. Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister. Good job, good job.
    Prime Minister Sharon. Thank you.
    President Bush. We will answer two questions a side, starting with 
the American side. The Prime Minister will call on somebody from the 
Israeli press at the appropriate moment.
    Prime Minister Sharon. If there will be any, there's no----
    President Bush. There may not be any questions from the Israeli 
press, that's what you're saying? [Laughter] It's not the case from the 
American press.
    Terry Hunt [Terence Hunt, Associated Press].

Israeli West Bank Settlements/Final Status Negotiations

    Q. Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to go back to your opening 
statement and ask you, does the United States recognize Israel's right 
to retain some Jewish settlements in the West Bank? And if so, how does 
that fit with the U.S. policy that settlements are an obstacle to peace?
    President Bush. First, let us recognize that the Prime Minister has 
made the decision to dismantle some settlements. In other words, he is 
beginning to implement a vision that allows for contiguous territories 
so that a Palestinian state can emerge.
    And this is an important step today. It accelerates the process. 
See, I view it as creating an opportunity, an opportunity for those of 
us who believe that a Palestinian state should emerge, a peaceful 
Palestinian state, to work to put a framework for such a state to exist 
so that the institutions of such state are bigger than the people. See, 
when you have a Government where the person is bigger than the 
institutions, that Government will inevitably fail. It's when the 
institutions are bigger than the people that you're able to have 
continuity and people's hopes and aspirations realized and peace.
    It is very important for a Palestinian state to emerge in which we 
have confidence, in which any Prime Minister of Israel has confidence, 
in which the United States has confidence, that will be a peaceful 
partner. And so what the Prime Minister has done is he started the 
process of removing settlements from the West Bank.
    Your question to me is about the final status agreements. I said 
that the conditions on the ground have changed over time, and obviously, 
that must be recognized during any final status negotiations.
    You know, I look forward to the moment when we're actually 
discussing final status

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negotiations. There's a lot of work to be done prior to getting there. 
And what the Prime Minister has done is started the process. And now 
it's up for responsible Palestinians, caring Europeans, Americans, the 
United Nations to step in and help develop such a state that will be a 
peaceful state, one in which money will actually end up helping the 
people of the Palestinian--Palestinians to be able to grow their 
businesses and grow their--find wealth for their families. And then we 
can worry about the final status negotiations. In other words, there's a 
lot of work to do. What the Prime Minister has done is started the work, 
and we're prepared to help with the work.
    Prime Minister Sharon. Thank you. The same question for me?
    President Bush. Right over here.
    Prime Minister Sharon. Oh, there's another question?
    President Bush. You ask for one of the Israeli press. You don't have 
to answer their questions if you don't want to. [Laughter] I'm sorry, 
you didn't ask him one. No, it's too late. I'm protecting my friend here 
from the appetite of the American press.
    Prime Minister Sharon. I'm afraid we have the same problem. 
[Laughter]
    President Bush. It's not a problem; it's an opportunity, Mr. Prime 
Minister. [Laughter] Go ahead and ask a question from your press corps.
    Prime Minister Sharon. Thank you.
    Q. Mr. President, may I ask a question, please?
    President Bush. It's up to the Prime Minister, but if it was up to 
me, of course you can.
    Q. I would like to ask you, please, first.
    President Bush. Please, what is it?

Prime Minister's Leadership

    Q. Sharon's political future depends largely on the Americans quid 
pro quo, so still I'm asking on this issue, could you clarify the 
ambiguity surrounding few key issues, as the settlements, for example. 
In your eyes, Ariel is going to be on the Israeli side of the fence. I 
wanted to ask about the right of return, but your answer was quite clear 
there.

[At this point, the journalist continued in Hebrew, and no translation 
was provided.]

    President Bush. Let me say this to you, his future doesn't depend 
upon me. His future depends upon his capacity to convince the Israeli 
people he's doing the right thing, and I think he is. He's a bold 
leader. That's what people want. They want leadership.
    There is a process that got stuck, and the Prime Minister steps up 
and leads. And I'm confident the Israeli people appreciate that kind of 
leadership.
    You can answer the question if you care to, but I don't buy the 
premise that what I say helps him get elected. What he says helps him 
get elected. It's his vision of Israel that the people of Israel will be 
looking toward.
    Prime Minister Sharon. Thank you. First, I will answer in Hebrew.

[Prime Minister Sharon answered in Hebrew and then continued in 
English.]

    The question was, did I take a risky decision. So my answer is that 
when the issue is the security of the state of Israel, which I am fully 
responsible to, and political and economic future of the state of 
Israel, I believe that personal issues like personal security is not to 
be taken in consideration. This is not the issue.
    And I would say that what I have learned from my visit here, that 
the plan, disengagement plan, contributes to the security of Israel, 
contributes to the political situation of Israel in the world, and helps 
our economy. Therefore, I think that those questions of personal risk 
has not been taken into consideration. We have to look into the 
interests of the state of Israel.
    President Bush. Caren [Caren Bohan, Reuters].
    Q. Thank you, sir----

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    President Bush. Trudy [Trudy Feldman, Trans Features], I'm sorry. 
I've got to call on the wire services. I'm sorry.

Thrust of U.S. Policy/Responsibilities of Participants

    Q. Former President Jimmy Carter said last week that he feels U.S. 
Middle East policy is tilted too much toward Israel. Is that a fair 
criticism?
    President Bush. U.S. Middle East policy is tilted toward peace, and 
the best way to achieve peace is to fight terror. And I'm the first 
American President ever to have articulated the creation of a 
Palestinian state. And the reason I did so is because I believe a 
Palestinian state, when properly done, will be--provide enough hope for 
people, provide a peaceful avenue for those who aspire for a better 
future. And I also believe it's in Israel's interest that there be a 
Palestinian state which develops in a peaceful way.
    Every statement I've said, I said all parties must assume 
responsibilities. The Palestinians have got to assume the responsibility 
of fighting off terror. If they want a state which provides a hopeful 
future for their people, they must fight terror. They must be resolute 
in the fighting of terror.
    Israel has responsibilities. Today the Prime Minister stepped up to 
those responsibilities. He started a process that I believe can be a 
hopeful process. The Arab world has got responsibilities to help not 
only fight terror but to provide hope for a peaceful Palestinian people. 
Those are responsibilities. America is assuming responsibilities. My 
position on Middle East peace is quite clear.
    Final question, from the Israeli press.

Palestinian Right of Return/Israeli Security

[A journalist asked a question in Hebrew and then continued in English.]

    Q. And Mr. President, if I may, is what you said about the 
Palestinian refugee mean that you deny unconditionally the--what's it 
called--the right of return of Palestinian refugee to the state of 
Israel?
    President Bush. My statement--refer back to my statement that I 
said, and also look at the letter that I sent the Prime Minister. It 
will clarify my position on the issue.

[Prime Minister Sharon answered in Hebrew and then continued in 
English.]

    Prime Minister Sharon. I mentioned first that I got from you, Mr. 
President, a letter. And I sent you a letter. And in these letters, all 
those issues, all those details are very clearly described in those 
letters. And I suggested also on your behalf that they will read the 
letters.
    President Bush. Thank you.
    Prime Minister Sharon. That's the first thing. I was asked by the 
Israeli media if I would say the things they held here or we discussed 
here or have been concluded here will provide me a weapon against my 
colleagues in the Government or the members of my party in Israel.
    So my answer was that I was never looking for weapons to use against 
my colleagues in the Government or against the members of my party. I 
agree that I've been using weapons for many years, being a soldier for 
many years, against the enemies of the state of Israel. And I never 
hesitated, and I will not hesitate also in the future, to use weapons if 
it will be needed in order to defend the citizens of Israel, their life, 
their normal life, their development, and so on.
    And therefore, I say that I don't need for that. I believe that our 
discussion today providing the needed security and hope for the future 
of the state of Israel and the future, I would say, of the region.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir.
    Prime Minister Sharon. Thank you.
    President Bush. Thank you all very much.
    Prime Minister Sharon. Thank you so much.
    President Bush. Welcome.
    Prime Minister Sharon. Thank you.

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Note: The President's news conference began at 1:05 p.m. in the Cross 
Hall at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to President Hosni 
Mubarak of Egypt; and King Abdullah II of Jordan.