[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 4 (Monday, January 26, 1998)]
[Pages 95-96]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Exchange With Reporters Prior to Discussions With Prime Minister 
Binyamin Netanyahu of Israel

January 20, 1998

Cuba-U.S. Relations

    Q. Good morning, Mr. President.
    The President. Good morning.
    Q. Mr. President, Cuba is about to be in the news. What does the 
United States gain from pressing the embargo?
    The President. Well, let me say, our position on that is that we 
want Cuba to move toward freedom and openness, and if they do, we'll 
respond. That's always been our position, and I believe in the end it 
will prevail.

Middle East Peace Process

    Q. Mr. President, on the Middle East, Mr. Arafat is talking with 
some threatening phrases, speaking of maybe the intifada will be 
resumed. And of course, the Prime Minister said last night that's no way 
to negotiate. How do you feel about----
    The President. I agree with that. I think if he makes an observation 
that if this whole thing fails, that it won't be good, then that's 
understandable. But I don't think it should be encouraged. I've really 
looked forward to this week. I've worked hard to get ready for the 
meeting. I'm anxious to begin my sixth meeting with the Prime Minister 
and then to see Mr. Arafat in a couple of days. And I think we have to 
have a positive attitude. We need to be reassuring to people. We don't 
want to undermine any confidence. We need to keep working.
    Q. Mr. President, you said yesterday that you had high hopes, and 
that seems out of step with some of the views of your top officials 
here. What makes you have high hopes for these talks?
    The President. Well, I've often been out of step, in having high 
hopes, with a lot of people. It may be a defect in my nature, but I 
think--for one thing I think that Israel wants peace and a resolution of 
this. And I believe that it's very much in the interests of the 
Palestinians and Mr. Arafat to seek to resolve it, and we're working 
very hard. I've just found that, more often than not, you ultimately 
have success if you stay at something and keep working at it in good 
faith.
    Q. Mr. President, could you just tell us what you believe a credible 
withdrawal would be? And does Chairman Arafat need to do anything before 
such a withdrawal should take place?
    The President. I think that's a conversation I need to have with the 
Prime Minister first. I don't--and I will do that.

[[Page 96]]

Prime Minister Netanyahu's Cabinet

    Q. Mr. Netanyahu, may I ask you one question, please? Are you in a 
more difficult situation because of the new makeup of your Cabinet, 
because it's a smaller coalition? Is it more difficult for you to make 
concessions and to negotiate?
    Prime Minister Netanyahu. This is a difficult day for me because 
I've lost a good friend, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Education. 
But the composition of the government is irrelevant. The people who 
could topple the government before Mr. Levi departed could topple it 
after he departed. And I say to them what I say to everyone here and to 
President Clinton: We made a decision to go to peace. This is what this 
government is about, peace with security. And I am sure that I can 
muster the necessary support across the government and across the 
coalition for something that will move the peace process forward and 
maintain secure and defensible boundaries for Israel.
    Q. And you believe you have enough support within your now more 
limited government to pass any sort of vote for withdrawal, for further 
Israeli withdrawal?
    Prime Minister Netanyahu. For a withdrawal that will ensure our 
defenses, that is what we're prepared to do. We're prepared to move 
forward, but not to jeopardize the security of the State of Israel.

[At this point, one group of reporters left the room, and another group 
entered.]

Prime Minister Netanyahu's Visit

    The President. Welcome. Let me just briefly say that I am delighted 
to see the Prime Minister again. This is our sixth meeting. I'm looking 
forward to it. We're working hard to make progress, and I want to 
reaffirm to the people of Israel the strong support of the United States 
for Israel and the strong support of the United States for the security 
of Israel and a peace process that proceeds within that commitment. And 
I think we can succeed.
    Q. Mr. President, what are your expectations from the meeting with 
the Prime Minister?
    The President. That we're going to have a good-faith, detailed, 
frank discussion and do our best to make some progress. And I think 
we've got a chance to do that.

Middle East Peace Process

    Q. Are you going to pressure Mr. Netanyahu to give concessions to 
the Palestinians?
    The President. I'm going to have a discussion with him about where 
we think the peace process is. I wouldn't use that word. Israel has to 
make its own decisions about its own security and its own future.
    Q. Who do you think is breaching the agreement more severely, more 
seriously, the Israelis or the Palestinians?
    The President. I don't think it's fruitful to discuss that. I think 
what we ought to talk about is what both sides can do now to get the 
peace process moving again. That's the most important thing.

Note: The exchange began at 10:19 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, Prime Minister Netanyahu referred to the late 
Zevulun Hammer, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and 
Culture of Israel, and David Levi, former Deputy Prime Minister and 
Minister of Foreign Affairs. A tape was not available for verification 
of the content of this exchange.