[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 22 (Monday, June 3, 1996)]
[Pages 958-959]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Departure for New Orleans, Louisiana, and an Exchange With 
Reporters

May 30, 1996

Israeli Election

    The President. Good morning. My goodness, the sun is out. I'd like 
to make just a couple of brief comments about the election in Israel 
last night.
    First of all, it was a cliffhanger. A lot of us were up late waiting 
for the returns, but I want to just make a couple of points. The United 
States--first, we don't know how--we don't have final returns. We have 
to wait for the postal ballots to be cast, counted.

[[Page 959]]

    Whatever the results, the United States will continue its policy of 
support for the people of Israel, for the democratic process there, and 
for the process of peace. And our policy will be the same. If Israel is 
prepared to take risks for peace, we are determined to do our best to 
reduce the risks and increase the security of those who do that.
    I was especially encouraged in the closing days of the campaign that 
both parties and both candidates expressed, in different ways, but still 
a clear commitment to continue the peace process. So that is my hope. 
That's what I hope will come out of this election, and we'll all just 
have to sit now and wait until the final ballots are counted.
    Q. Do you believe Mr. Netanyahu would not restart settlements in the 
West Bank, would not go ahead with negotiations with Syria? There's a 
dramatic difference in his approach.
    The President. Well, there's been a difference in what they say 
their approaches are, but I was actually quite interested in the 
comments that he made about this, particularly in the last days of the 
election. I think we have to wait and see.
    I would, first of all, say let's wait until all the ballots are in, 
until we see who voted how and what the final outcome is. But the first 
big leg of the whole process of peace in the Middle East was completed 
by one of Mr. Netanyahu's Likud predecessors. So we just have to wait 
and see.
    They certainly have a lively, interesting democracy. And they showed 
it again yesterday, and the rest of us should support that. And I would 
hope that we would have that kind of turnout in our country this 
November. I hope that percentage of our voters shows up. I think they 
had over two-thirds of the overall voters turn out. And I hope that--and 
maybe even higher.
    They have made their decision. Now we have to wait for a while to 
see what it is, and then afterward they will have to chart a course and 
then we'll see where we go from there.
    Q. Do you want results that close?
    The President. No. I hope they won't be that close, but I hope that 
we'll have that many people voting. I like the turnout. And I like the 
vigorous involvement. I like the debate. I thought it--you know, it was 
a very stimulating thing for them and, you know, it was a difficult, 
challenging election for the people of Israel and, you know, we'll see.
    I think all of us who watched the returns last night and watched the 
reports coming in, were impressed by the vigor of the democracy and by 
the determination to participate. And now you know they have a very 
diverse society, and they're trying to find ways to integrate all the 
various elements of their society. It was very impressive to me what 
happened.
    And so I'm going to wait for the votes to come in and a winner to be 
declared and the government to be announced, and then we'll see where we 
go from there.
    Press Secretary McCurry. Thank you, Mr. President.
    The President. Thank you.
    Q. Mr. President, does the closeness of the vote make it difficult 
for anyone to lead? What is the message?
    The President. Let's wait a while. Let's see what the vote is, and 
we'll see what the message is. I don't want to be an instantaneous 
commentator, but I'll think some more about it and see if I can answer 
that question.
    Q. How late were you up?
    The President. Until I found out what all the counted votes were 
last night, about 1 o'clock.

Note: The President spoke at 8:20 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Binyamin Netanyahu, Likud Party 
candidate for Prime Minister in Israel.