[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 30 (Monday, August 1, 1994)]
[Pages 1551-1555]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's News Conference With King Hussein of Jordan and Prime 
Minister Rabin of Israel

July 26, 1994

    The President. Good afternoon. I am happy to once again welcome King 
Hussein and Prime Minister Rabin.
    In the last 2 days, history has been made in Washington, and a 
brighter future has been built, a future that offers more peace and 
security, not only for the people of Israel and Jordan but also for the 
people of the United States. With great courage and foresight, the King 
and the Prime Minister have united in their conviction that it is time 
to end more than four decades of bloodshed and loss. They have 
demonstrated that contact can overcome conflict, that direct talks can 
produce peace. They have declared an end to the state of war between 
their two countries and have determined to secure a lasting peace. They 
have personally committed to making sure that a treaty is concluded as 
rapidly as possible.
    When we met yesterday, the King, the Prime Minister, and I agreed to 
designate representatives to ensure that the provisions of the 
Washington Declaration are implemented quickly.
    In the week of extraordinary set of events, this morning we 
witnessed another one, as the King and the Prime Minister appeared 
jointly before Congress. Their eloquent remarks articulated a common 
vision of cooperation that will yield specific and concrete benefits for 
all peoples on both sides of the Jordan River. The outpouring of support 
by Members of Congress for these two heroes of peace, I believe, clearly 
reflect the feelings of all the American people.
    As I've made clear since my first meetings with the King and the 
Prime Minister, America will stand by those who take risks for peace. We 
will support leaders whose boldness and wisdom are creating a new Middle 
East. Today I have reaffirmed to Prime Minister Rabin that as Israel 
moves forward in the peace process the constant responsibility of the 
United States will be to help ensure its security. I have also 
reaffirmed to King Hussein my determination to assist Jordan in dealing 
with its burden of debt and its defense requirements. I am working with 
Congress to achieve rapid action on both these matters. The United 
States is committed to a comprehensive peace in the Middle East and an 
end to hostility between Israel and all her Arab neighbors.
    I spoke yesterday with President Asad of Syria and reaffirmed my 
personal dedication to achieving a comprehensive peace. Secretary 
Christopher has devoted a great deal of time and effort to the 
negotiations with Syria, and I have asked him to return to the region 
soon to continue that work.
    In these 2 days we have taken great strides on the road to peace. 
But even as these two leaders have come together, the enemies of peace 
have not been silent. In recent days terrorists have struck in Buenos 
Aires, Argentina, and in London. We will not, we must not, allow them to 
disrupt this peace process.
    This week's events here in Washington and the bravery of King 
Hussein and Prime Minister Rabin prove that a just, lasting, and 
comprehensive peace in the Middle East is within reach. Inspired by the 
extraordinary events of the last 2 days, now we go forward with a new 
sense of determination and a new sense of confidence to take the next 
steps in the days and weeks ahead.
    As I turn over the microphone, if I might, to the King and to the 
Prime Minister, let me say at the end of the statements we will take 
press questions in alternating order from the American, the Jordanian, 
and the Israeli press.
    King Hussein. Mr. President, Prime Minister Rabin, ladies and 
gentlemen: These have been unique days in our lives, yesterday and 
today. They have witnessed dreams, hopes, and prayers realized in terms 
of an end to the state of war between Jordan and Israel, more important, 
in terms of our determination to move ahead in executing our du- 

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ties towards our people, towards our peoples in the entire region in the 
present and in the future that they live secure in peace with the 
ability to come together, for the opportunity to give their talents a 
chance, to make a difference, to create at the breaking dawn of peace in 
the region what is worthy of them.
    I would like, Mr. President, to thank you very, very much indeed, 
sir, for your personal support, continued interest. We are proud to have 
you as our partner. We are proud and happy that these meetings between 
myself and Prime Minister Rabin have taken place here in Washington. We 
are overwhelmed by all the warmth and support that we have seen during 
these last 2 days. We recall and appreciate the efforts of the Secretary 
of State, the efforts of so many friends here that enabled us to get 
this far.
    I hope, together, we will build from now on and we will continue and 
we will succeed in giving all our peoples the chance to live under 
conditions that have been denied us, certainly as far as I'm concerned 
throughout my life. And I am proud to say that the overwhelming majority 
of Jordanians rejoice with me, as I am sure is the case in Israel and 
here in the United States.
    Thank you very, very much.
    Prime Minister Rabin. Mr. President, Your Majesty King Hussein, 
ladies and gentlemen: I believe that the last 2 days represent a 
landmark in the positive developments towards peace in the Middle East. 
I believe to understand the meaning of what has been done by Jordan and 
Israel, with the assistance, support of the United States, has to be 
looked at in proportion to what are the trends today in the Middle East. 
We see two conflicting trends in the Middle East: one, the rise for 
extreme, radical Islamic terrorist movements within the Palestinian 
side, within the Lebanese side, in other Arab countries, derived from a 
certain source that each purpose is undermining any possibility to 
achieve peace. I believe that we see their fingers in the international 
terror acts that have taken place not so far ago in Thailand, in Buenos 
Aires, in London, in addition to what goes on from Lebanon and in the 
territories by the extreme radical Islamic terrorist groups. It's an 
all-out war waged by these elements against the possibility of the 
solution of the Arab-Israeli conflict in all its parts.
    I believe that they have got infrastructure of terror all over the 
world. We saw it lately in Argentina. I don't want to talk about what's 
going on here, in Europe, in the Far East, in addition to the Middle 
East.
    And therefore, what we have done in the last 2 days is a major step 
of brave people on both sides to come up and to say, we are making an 
important, important phase towards peace, because the Washington 
Declaration is, first and foremost, end of a state of belligerency or as 
the King declared, end of state of war. Believe me, today in the Middle 
East, to reach commitment by the countries of the region for 
nonbelligerency, no violence, no terror, can be the greatest 
contribution to peace in the region, and not only in the region.
    Between Jordan and Israel we have reached the end of the state of 
belligerency. But there is a need beyond the end of war, threats of war, 
violence, and terror, to build a structure of peace, the relations of 
peace. We lay the foundations to this world, to this work, to this 
place. The test will be to what extent we will succeed to build this 
structure of peace, to reach the kind of relations between Jordan and 
Israel that the man in the street in Amman and in Tel Aviv will call it 
a peace.
    Therefore, hard work is before us. We are committed, I believe, on 
both sides to do what is needed in addition to the elimination of war to 
build the relations of peace. We need your assistance, Mr. President in 
doing so.
    The first responsibility lies with the parties, with Jordan and 
Israel. But without--[inaudible]--the United States, the leader of peace 
in the region, hopefully other countries, the European Union, assisting 
those who take risks, calculated risks for peace, we will not achieve it 
in the way and the pace which it is needed.
    We open a new chapter. We created a new landmark. But the road is 
still, hopefully not too long, but still work has to be done. We will do 
it. We need participation of those who preach peace to translate their 
words to realities, to practical support of those who take the risk for 
peace.

[[Page 1553]]

    Thank you very much.

Lebanon

    Q. I'd like to direct my question to Prime Minister Rabin. Mr. Prime 
Minister, when do you expect to pull your occupation troops out of 
southern Lebanon?
    Prime Minister Rabin. As you know, there were 3 years of war in 
Lebanon which the purpose then declared by the Government of Israel was 
to eliminate Lebanon as a basis for terrorism. In '85 the government--
then the Prime Minister was Shimon Peres, and I was the Minister of 
Defense; it was a national unity government--we decided to pull out. But 
in the absence of central government in Lebanon, in the absence of 
military and security forces that can take control of each sovereign 
soil, and with the continuation of at least Syrian division on the 
Lebanese soil and from the area that the Syrian army is deployed, 
Hezbollah takes action against us. There are still members of the 
revolutionary guards of Iran there.
    We have made it clear, and I repeat it, in the context of a peace 
treaty with Lebanese Government that will be in full control of its own 
sovereign soil, Israel will agree to peace treaty. We don't seek one 
square inch of Lebanese territory. The border there is defined. There is 
an international border, and we will respect it. We are not seeking one 
cubic meter of their water. All that we want, peace treaty and their 
capability to maintain control of their own land. I believe they are 
capable if somebody from the outside will not interfere and will prevent 
it.

Nuclear Weapons

    Q. Mr. Rabin, I'd like to ask you a question. We've seen the 
historic handshake and the Washington Declaration. But there is topic 
that was rarely discussed, and that is, now that Israel is moving very 
quickly on the Palestinian and Jordanian front, and hopefully will 
have--with the advent of peace in the Middle East, with other Arab 
countries, what does Israel intend to do with its huge arsenal of 
nuclear weapons?
    Prime Minister Rabin. Well, as you know, Israel is not a nuclear 
country in terms of weapons, and therefore, your question is not 
relevant. We are committed to the United States for many years not to be 
the first to introduce nuclear weapons in the context of the Arab-
Israeli conflict. But at the same time, we cannot be blind to efforts 
that are made in certain Muslim and Arab countries in this direction. 
Therefore, I can sum it up. We'll keep our commitment not to be the 
first to introduce, but we still look ahead to the dangers that others 
will do it, and we have to be prepared for it.

Syria

    Q. Mr. President, I would like to ask you when do you hope to see 
the President of Syria, President Asad, standing next to you like his 
Majesty King Hussein and Prime Minister Rabin of Israel? And what are 
you prepared to do in order to achieve it?
    The President. Let me say, as you know, I have already met with 
President Asad once for an extended period of time in Geneva. We have 
talked many times on the phone, and the Secretary of State has been to 
Syria on several occasions, and we are working hard there. But in the 
end, the lesson of the successes which have been enjoyed over the past 
year is that the best thing the United States can do is to help to 
create the conditions within which the parties themselves feel secure in 
making peace.
    This is an agreement made by Israel and Jordan. In September we had 
an agreement freely made by Israel and the PLO. What remains is for 
sovereign states with great interests and long histories to reach an 
accord. My job will be to create the conditions insofar as I am humanly 
capable for such a peace to be made, but the decisions will have to be 
made by them. And the successes of the last year on that fundamental 
understanding.
    Andrea [Andrea Mitchell, NBC News].

Terrorism

    Q. Mr. President, it is widely believed that Hezbollah was 
responsible for some of the recent bombings in Buenos Aires and Panama, 
if not also in London. Did you discuss that with President Asad? Do you 
believe that more pressure should be brought against Iran by Germany, 
France, other of our allies who have had very friendly relations with 
Iran? Do you believe that Hezbollah could operate as it has in Damascus 
and southern

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Lebanon without the complicity of President Asad?
    I'd also like to ask Your Majesty if you could comment on that, and 
also the Prime Minister, on Hezbollah as well.
    The President. Well, let me say first of all, I condemn--the United 
States condemns the terrorist attacks in Buenos Aires and in London. 
They are, in all probability, of too recent vintage for anyone to be 
absolutely certain what the source of them is, but I think it is 
reasonable to assume that terrorists who wish to be the enemies of peace 
are behind it.
    I did discuss the terrorism issue with President Asad in Geneva. I 
have continued to press with our friends and neighbors, our allies, the 
importance of standing up against nations which support terrorism. 
Trying to stem the expansion of terrorism is a major objective of the 
United States. And I think that there is a good chance that this 
agreement between Jordan and Israel, juxtaposed against the horrible 
events in Buenos Aires and the attempt at a horrible result in London, 
may stiffen the resolve of other countries around the world to help us 
to move against this.
    And I think we must all try to do more. I am committed to do more. I 
think everyone in the United States would want us to do more against 
terrorism. And we're going to have to have some more help from our 
allies. We cannot allow the enemies of peace to prevail.
    Q. May we have comments----
    The President. Sure.
    Q. Can you comment on that also?
    King Hussein. I believe, Mr. President, that the enemies of peace is 
the right description, the enemies of life, the enemies of human 
relations between human beings, the enemies of hope, the enemies of 
security, the enemies of what should be normal between people. We have 
always stood against terror and terrorism, and we have paid a heavy 
price.
    I condemn these recent deaths. And in fact, just a while ago we were 
discussing amongst ourselves, myself and some of my colleagues, the need 
for us to increase our vigil in the time ahead because more may come.
    However, I believe that this is a challenge we face, to speak for 
what we believe in, to speak for the overwhelming majority of people. We 
are Muslims in Jordan and Christians. We live as members of one family. 
Nothing irritates me more or is more painful to me than to witness and 
see acts and attitudes attributed to Islam that have nothing to do with 
Islam, my faith and my religion. But I believe this is extremism as we 
know it in our world, people with blinders, with no vision.
    I believe that what we have achieved here in Washington and our 
commitment to make a difference, to continue in dealing with every 
aspect of the building of the house of peace in our region in terms of 
negotiations to come, work to be done, and to have all this culminate in 
a peace treaty between us, hopefully in the context of a comprehensive 
peace, is our best answer to those who try to continuously destroy it 
everywhere in our region.
    Prime Minister Rabin. The Hezbollah is very active daily, equipped 
with modern weapons, Russian-made, Soviet-made antitank--[inaudible]--
mortars, antitank weapons, artillery. To the best of our knowledge, it 
comes from Iran via Syria--might be lately in reduced number. Their 
forces are deployed. One of the bases that we attacked was in area in 
the Bacca in which the Syrian army is deployed.
    If you ask me who is the boss of Hezbollah, I would say, Iran. If 
you ask me, Syria can put limitations on its activities, my answer will 
be yes. If you ask me for proof of that, in July, in response to 
prolonged--[inaudible]--by Hezbollah, we went and used firepower in 
southern Lebanon. And we worked out certain understanding through the 
good offices of the United States, in which the Secretary of State was 
involved.
    The talks were, to the best of my knowledge, with the Syrians. If 
the Syrians could reach understanding, limit part of the activity of 
Hezbollah, it means that they have got at least preventing capability 
vis-a-vis Hezbollah. If you ask me, do they want to use it, my answer: 
in a very limited way.

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Middle East Peace Process

    Q. Your Majesty, do you believe that it is time to convene the Arab 
family of nations in order to support these agreements which were signed 
between Jordan and Israel, and between the Palestinians and Israel, and 
make ways in order to clear the political environment, which is very 
poisoned in the Arab world, and prepare and begin for the reconciliation 
process between the family of the Arab world?

    King Hussein. I believe this is inevitable. And at the same time I 
know that you know that we have been trying to get that for a long 
period of time. It will happen I hope and before too long.

    Q. Your Majesty, what does it take when more is still needed to be 
done for your grandson and my son, who have met before but abroad, to 
meet respectively in Amman and Tel Aviv? And also, since we are on a 
live broadcast to Israel, would you care to carry a message directly to 
the Israeli people?

    King Hussein. I hope to share with the people of Israel the hopes 
that the people of Jordan share with me that we are on the verge of the 
breaking of a new dawn for all our peoples for a secure, safe future, 
for a future of peace, cooperation, for human relations to develop and 
grow between us. And I hope that the answer will come as a result of our 
joint efforts, which I hope, following this meeting, we will be able to 
shepherd, both the Prime Minister and myself, in terms of the tasks 
ahead of negotiating on all aspects of the problems that we still have 
to resolve, in other words, using his words, the building blocks of 
peace that will culminate in a peace treaty hopefully before long.

    I hope it won't be long before what you suggest will happen, sir.

Russia and Estonia

    The President. Let me say one other thing before we leave. I think 
that King Hussein and the Prime Minister have put peace in the air all 
over the world.

    A few hours ago, I received a message from President Yeltsin saying, 
first of all, how pleased he was about what had happened here between 
Jordan and Israel and, secondly, that he had reached agreement with 
President Meri of Estonia to withdraw all Russian troops from Estonia by 
August 31st.

    As you know, this has been one of the principal objectives of 
American policy, so that now, for the first time since the end of World 
War II, on the last day of August there will be no more Russian troops 
in Germany or anywhere in Eastern Europe. And I think maybe the 
vibrations of peace that the King and the Prime Minister have sent out--
who knows what may be announced tomorrow.
    Thank you very much, and good day.

Note: The President's 67th news conference began at 4:15 p.m. in the 
East Room at the White House. A tape was not available for verification 
of the content of this news conference.