[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
[May 26, 2005]
[Pages 880-886]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
The President's News Conference With President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority
May 26, 2005
President Bush. Thank you. Mr. President, it is my honor to
welcome the democratically elected leader of the Palestinian people to
the White House.
We meet at a time when a great achievement of history is within
reach, the creation of a peaceful, democratic Palestinian state.
President Abbas is seeking that goal by rejecting violence and working
for democratic reform. I believe the Palestinian people are fully
capable of justly governing themselves in peace with their neighbors. I
believe the interests of the Israeli people would be served by a
peaceful Palestinian state. And I believe that now is the time for all
parties of this conflict to move beyond old grievances and act
forcefully in the cause of peace.
President Abbas's election 4 months ago was a tribute to the power
and appeal of democracy and an inspiration to the people across the
region. Palestinians voted against violence and for sovereignty, because
only the defeat of violence will lead to sovereignty.
Mr. President, the United States and the international community
applaud your rejection of terrorism. All who engage in terror are the
enemies of a Palestinian state and must be held to account. We will
stand with you, Mr. President, as you combat corruption, reform the
Palestinian security services and your justice system, and revive your
economy. Mr. President, you have made a new start on a difficult journey
requiring courage and leadership each day, and we will take that journey
together.
As we work for peace, other countries must step up to their
responsibilities. Arab States must take concrete measures to create a
regional environment conducive to peace. They must offer financial
assistance to support the peaceful efforts of President Abbas, his
Government, and the Palestinian people. And they must refuse to assist
or harbor terrorists.
Israel must continue to take steps toward a peaceful future and
work with the Palestinian leadership to improve the daily lives of
Palestinians, especially their humanitarian situation. Israel should not
undertake
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any activity that contravenes roadmap obligations or prejudice final
status negotiations with regard to Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem.
Therefore, Israel must remove unauthorized outposts and stop
settlement expansion. The barrier being erected by Israel as a part of
its security effort must be a security, rather than political, barrier.
And its route should take into account, consistent with security needs,
its impact on Palestinians not engaged in terrorist activities. As we
make progress toward security and in accordance with the roadmap,
Israeli forces should withdraw to their positions on September the 28th,
2000.
Any final status agreement must be reached between the two parties,
and changes to the 1949 Armistice Lines must be mutually agreed to. A
viable two-state solution must ensure contiguity on the West Bank, and a
state of scattered territories will not work. There must also be
meaningful linkages between the West Bank and Gaza. This is the position
of the United States today; it will be the position of the United States
at the time of final status negotiations.
The imminent Israeli disengagement from Gaza, parts of the West
Bank, presents an opportunity to lay the groundwork for a return to the
roadmap. All parties have a responsibility to make this hopeful moment
in the region a new and peaceful beginning. That is why I assigned
General Kip Ward, who is with us
today, to support your efforts, Mr. President, to reform the Palestinian
security services and to coordinate the efforts of the international
community to make that crucial task a success. The United States also
strongly supports the mission of the Quartet's special envoy, Jim
Wolfensohn, to make sure that the Gaza
disengagement brings Palestinians a better life.
To help ensure that the Gaza disengagement is a success, the United
States will provide to the Palestinian Authority $50 million to be used
for new housing and infrastructure projects in the Gaza. These funds
will be used to improve the quality of life of the Palestinians living
in Gaza, where poverty and unemployment are very high. I've also asked
Secretary Rice to travel to Jerusalem and Ramallah before the beginning
of the Israeli withdrawal. Secretary Rice
will consult with Israelis and Palestinians on the disengagement, their
shared commitments, and the way back on the roadmap.
As we work to make the disengagement succeed, we must not lose
sight of the path ahead. The United States remains committed to the
roadmap as the only way to realize the vision of two democratic states
living side by side in peace and security. It is through the roadmap
that the parties can achieve a final permanent status agreement through
direct negotiations.
The people of the Middle East have endured a long period of
challenge, and now we have reached a moment of hope. Leaders from around
the world have made a moral commitment: We will not stand by as another
generation in the Holy Land grows up in an atmosphere of violence and
hopelessness. With concrete actions by the United States, the
Palestinians, Israel, and other nations, we can transform this
opportunity into real momentum.
Mr. President, we will work with you to help realize the dream of a
free and democratic Palestine, to bring greater freedom, security, and
prosperity to all peoples in the region, and to achieve the lasting
peace we all seek.
Welcome back to the White House.
President Abbas. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I'd like to
thank you for this warm welcome and express my view in order to
strengthen the relationship between Palestine and the United States. The
Palestinian people share with the American people the same values of
peace, freedom, and democracy. We are confident that the two peoples
will benefit from continuing and developing this relationship.
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Today we have conducted very intensive and constructive discussions
with you, Mr. President, and with your senior administration officials.
We discussed ways to support the opportunities to revive and resume the
peace process in the Middle East. These discussions afford us with the
opportunity to emphasize the central and essential role played by you,
Mr. President, and by your administration in supporting and advancing
the peace process toward the realization of your vision of ending the
Israeli occupation that started in 1967 and the establishment of a
democratic, free, and independent Palestine to live side by side with
the State of Israel, in order to create a better future for the peoples
of the region. We have reiterated again to you, Mr. President, our
strong commitment to the peace option, and through negotiations, we can
achieve--the two sides can achieve their objectives.
We also discussed the efforts that have been undertaken by the
Palestinian Authority throughout the past few months to bring about
calm. These efforts have brought about the reduction of violence to the
lowest level in 4 years and once again reopened the window of hope for
progress toward peace. We emphasized our determination to maintain and
preserve this calm. The Palestinian Authority exerts a great deal of
efforts in reforming our security organizations, and the truth is, our
efforts are fully supported by our own people who repeatedly reaffirmed
their commitment to peace and negotiations.
In our talks, we also discussed the ongoing democratic process in
Palestine. This process has successfully presented, through the
Presidential elections and the local and municipal elections, that the
Palestinians have succeeded in carrying out transparent and fair
elections under very difficult circumstances, another example of the
capability of our people and their ability to build an independent
democratic state once we achieve our freedom and our independence.
We expect that our people will be helped and supported to make
their democratic experiment a successful one. We look forward to the
free movement and the freedom of movement and the removal of Israeli
roadblock and checkpoints and the Israeli withdrawal to positions prior
to September 28th, 2000, and as well as implementing the various
understanding that we have reached with the Israeli Government in Sharm
al-Sheikh. We stress that democracy cannot flourish under occupation and
in the absence of freedom.
In this regard, we expressed our deep concern over the continuous
Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the wall on our
land, particularly in the area of Jerusalem. These settlement
activities, in addition to undermining President Bush's vision in
establishing a Palestinian and contiguous state, that it is a viable
state that can live side by side by the State of Israel, also
contributes to the feeling of frustration and despair and the loss of
hope. Stopping this is one of the requirements of the roadmap. Time is
becoming our greatest enemy. We should end this conflict before it is
too late.
We are extending our hands to the Israeli people in good intention.
We are saying that peace and dialog and the recognition of the other
side's rights is what will create a good neighborhood and achieve
security and prosperity for our people and the peoples in the region.
We have assured the President that the Palestinian Authority is
ready to coordinate with the Israeli side in order to ensure the success
of its withdrawal from Gaza and the West Bank upon the Israeli
evacuation. We see this evacuation as a part of ending the occupation,
and it should not be at the expense of the West Bank. We must then
immediately move to permanent status negotiations to deal with the
issues of Al-Quds--East Jerusalem--as a capital of the future state of
Palestine, the issues of refugees, settlements, borders, security, and
water, on the basis of President Bush's
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vision and on the basis of U.N. resolutions and the basis of the Arab
Initiative.
It is time for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to end--right now.
It is the time for our people, after many decades of suffering and
dispossessions, to enjoy living in freedom and independence on their own
land. And we should accelerate the freedom of our prisoners in order to
be a part of peacemaking.
Mr. President, we end our discussions in Washington, and we are
more determined to move forward in the path of freedom, reform, and
democracy. We depart Washington; we are more confident about the role
that you will play and the role that your administration will play in
order to move the process forward and achieve lasting peace.
Mr. President, at the end, I would like to thank you very much for
your hospitality and expressing the American--and demonstrating the
American support to the Palestinian administration and the Palestinian
people. We continue to look forward to work with you ahead in order to
achieve our common objectives of peace, security, and democracy and
freedom.
Thank you very much, Mr. President.
President Bush. Good job, good job. Two questions a side, starting
with Terry [Terence Hunt, Associated Press].
Palestinian Democracy/Hamas
Q. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, you just spoke about
the rejection of terror. Are you satisfied that President Abbas is
moving aggressively enough, doing everything he can to shut down terror
groups? And do you think that he should, for example, close Hamas or
remove from positions of power associates of Yasser Arafat?
President Bush. I believe that--and I know the President is
committed to democracy. After all, he ran on a platform that said,
``Vote for me. I'm for peace, and I believe in democracy.'' That's what
he told the Palestinian people when he ran, and he won with 62 percent
of the vote, I think it was. So in other words, he's committed. That's
what he said he was going to do, and he's now fulfilling it.
Our position on Hamas is very clear. It's a well-known position,
and it hasn't changed about Hamas. Hamas is a terrorist group. It's on a
terrorist list for a reason. As the elections go forward, of course, we
want everybody to participate in the vote. There is something healthy
about people campaigning, saying, ``This is what I'm for.'' The
President ran on a peace platform. You know, maybe somebody will run on
a war platform. You know, ``Vote for me. I promise violence.'' I don't
think they're going to get elected, because I think Palestinian moms
want their children to grow up in peace just like American moms want
their children to grow up in peace. As a matter of fact, I think the
people that campaign for peace will win.
The goal of a--is, of course, a Palestinian state based upon rule
of law, and you cannot have a democracy based upon rule of law if you
have armed bands of people who will use their weapons to try to achieve
a political outcome. We discussed this with the President. He can give
you his own views. I will just tell you, he is--he believes strongly in
democracy and understands that aspect of democracy.
And so I'm--I think there's something healing about asking people
to vote. And hopefully, as more people participate and more people see
progress on the ground in terms of real, tangible benefits when it comes
to democracy like being able to make a living or being able to send your
child to a school that works or being able to get good quality health
care, that more and more people will reject the notion that the only--a
state based upon violence is a positive state.
Israeli Settlements/Israeli Security Wall
Q. President Abbas, regarding settlements and the erection of the
wall, are your positions before that you gave to your
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voters among the Palestinian public? And the question to President Bush,
we heard your remarks. You talked about clear American position about
the issue of settlements. But Israel continues to build settlements and
continues to seize Palestinian territories. What is your position, Mr.
President?
President Bush. Well, I told you what my position was. And it's
exactly what I said when I was in Crawford, by the way, when Prime
Minister Sharon was there as well. I mean, when
you say you're going to accept the roadmap, you accept the roadmap, and
part of the obligations of the roadmap is not the expansion of
settlements. And we continue to remind our friends the Israelis about
their obligations under the roadmap, just like we remind President Abbas
about the obligations under the roadmap that the Palestinians have
accepted. So nothing has changed.
Adam [Adam Entous, Reuters], yes.
Oh, I'm sorry. I beg your pardon.
President Abbas. The first one.
President Bush. I beg your--sorry, yes. Just trying to cut you off.
[Laughter] It's an old Rose Garden trick.
President Abbas. Regarding the issue of settlements and the wall,
our position is very clear from the beginning. When we talk about two
states, we are talking about a Palestinian state within the boundaries
of 1967. That means that those boundaries, in our views, should go back
to the Palestinian people. This is what the roadmap states, and this is
what is in various U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Also President Bush talked about ending the occupation that started
in 1967. In our views, the wall--there is no justification for the wall,
and it is illegitimate, as well as settlements. It is illegitimate and
should not allow. We heard from the President that these activities
should stop. I believe this is an important step in order to get to the
permanent status negotiations. During the permanent status negotiations,
we will put all these issues on the table. And we express our views that
does not contradict international legitimacy.
President Bush. Now Adam.
Egyptian Presidential Elections
Q. Mr. President, President Bush, the First Lady, under the
Egyptian pyramids this week, enthusiastically endorsed Mubarak's first
steps towards direct Presidential elections. Two days later, Mubarak
supporters attacked the opposition in the streets. Was it premature to
back Mubarak? What's your message to Mubarak now?
President Bush. I also embraced President Mubarak's first steps and said that those first steps must
include people's ability to have access to TV and candidates ought to be
allowed to run freely in an election and that there ought to be
international monitors. That's--and the idea of people expressing
themselves in opposition to the government and getting a beating, is not
our view of how a democracy ought to work. It's not the way that you
have free elections. People ought to be allowed to express themselves,
and I'm hopeful that the President will have open elections that
everybody can have trust in.
Final question here. Oh, sorry. That's what happens when you don't
get called on.
Gaza/Palestinian Democracy
Q. To President Bush, Mr. President, Israel insists on controlling
the Gaza airspace as well as the port, after its unilateral withdrawal.
What practical steps are you prepared to take, sir, to deter Israel from
doing so and ensuring that the Gaza disengagement remains an integral
part of the roadmap?
And to President Abbas, in the article that was published in the
Wall Street Journal today, you emphasized the link between democracy and
freedom. Do you feel concerned that the new Palestinian democracy could
go back under the occupation and under the lack of freedom? Thank you.
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President Bush. Actually, my answer kind of ties into the question
you asked the President. You know, one of the things when you are in the
position I'm in, I'm able to observe attitudes and opinions. And clearly
there's a lot of mistrust, and you can understand why. There's been war,
violence, bloodshed. The only way to achieve all the objectives is for
there to be a democracy living side by side with a democracy. And the
best way to see--to solve problems that seem insoluble now is for there
to be a society which evolves based upon democratic principles.
And so there's going to be a lot of issues that come up as this
process evolves that are going to be difficult issues. But as more
people trust each other, then those issues become easier to solve. And
so one of my cautions to both sides in this very important problem is to
make sure that we stay focused on getting things right initially, and
what needs to happen is that Palestinians, with the world's help, fill
the void created by the withdraw from Gaza with a society which is
hopeful. And that means people can find work, and people can send their
kids to school, the health care system functions well.
I told the President, there's a lot of international help that will
be available, particularly as his Government earns the trust of the
donors. And the best way to earn the trust of the donors is to work to
develop this--to take advantage of this opportunity and develop a state.
Israel has obligations to help. You noticed, in my statement I said
``help improve the humanitarian situation on the ground.'' And America
wants to help.
Now as a democracy evolves and people see that this is a Government
fully capable of sustaining democratic institutions and adhering to rule
of law and transparency and puts strong anticorruption devices in place,
answers to the will of the people, that it becomes easier to deal with
issues such as airspace. The West Bank will become an easier issue for
everybody to meet obligations. We've got a fantastic opportunity now.
When I--I told the President, there's no doubt in my mind we can
succeed. President Abbas is a man of courage. Part of the success is
going to require courageous decision by the President. And I take great
faith in not only his personal character but the fact that he campaigned
on a platform of peace. He said, ``Vote for me. I am for peace.'' And
the Palestinians voted overwhelmingly to support him.
And so there will be a series of issues that come up--you know, how
do we deal with this issue, or how do you deal with that issue--all of
which will become easier to deal with as the Government succeeds in
Gaza. And the United States stands with the Government to help them
succeed.
President Abbas. Thank you. Regarding the democracy and freedom, I
am saying that when we have chosen democracy as a way of life, this was
not an adventure. This was a determination and a strategy that democracy
is the only way to move forward and for life among different nations.
But democracy is like a coin; it has two sides. On one side it's
democracy; on the other side of the coin is freedom.
It's true, now we lack freedom, and we are in dire need to have
freedom. We do not live in freedom in our homeland. This will weaken the
hope to continue this democracy and will weaken the democratic march.
But we will not go back. Our strategy is clear, and we are determined to
achieve our freedom in order to complete and achieve both sides of the
coin, and we can live a normal life.
Note: The President's news conference began at 11:31 a.m. in the Rose
Garden at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Lt. Gen.
William E. Ward, USA, Senior U.S. Security Coordinator, Department of
State; outgoing World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn, Special Envoy
for Gaza Disengagement; Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel; and
President Hosni Mubarak of
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Egypt. President Abbas spoke in Arabic, and his remarks were translated
by an interpreter.