[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 29 (Monday, July 26, 1999)]
[Pages 1412-1415]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Joint Statement by President Clinton and Prime Minister Ehud Barak

July 19, 1999

    During several days of close consultations, the President and the 
Prime Minister conducted a comprehensive review of the U.S.-Israel 
bilateral relations, the peace process, Israeli as well as regional 
security, economic and scientific development and cooperation. These 
fruitful discussions have produced important agreements and 
understandings in all of these areas.
    Prime Minister Barak expressed his deep appreciation of President 
Clinton's special efforts to enhance the U.S.-Israeli relationship and 
advance the cause of peace in the Middle East.
    President Clinton and Prime Minister Barak have reached a broad new 
understanding that significantly enhances the already unique bilateral 
relations between the United States and Israel, and raises their 
friendship and cooperation to an even higher level of strategic 
partnership. This new partnership is designed to underpin their joint 
effort to put an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict and achieve a 
comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
    The President and the Prime Minister have agreed on the need to 
assign a top priority to the pursuit of peace in the Middle East. They 
have also reached a meeting of

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minds on the desirability of making an intensive effort to move ahead 
simultaneously on all tracks of the peace process, bilateral and 
multilateral, as well as on the important role that would be played by 
the United States in support of the process.
    President Clinton assured Prime Minister Barak that the United 
States would be ready to assist and contribute in any way it can to 
achieving an historical reconciliation that will usher in a new era of 
peace, security, prosperity and cooperation in the Middle East. In this 
context, he reiterated the U.S. commitment to help Israel minimize the 
risks and costs it incurs as it pursues peace and affirmed the broad 
U.S. backing that would be accorded to Israel, to facilitate the pursuit 
of peace.
    Recognizing that the U.S.-Israel relationship serves as a 
cornerstone for pursuing peace, they vowed to strengthen and deepen this 
unique relationship, which is based on shared democratic values, bonds 
of friendship, common interests and joint cooperation in so many areas 
of human endeavor. President Clinton reiterated the steadfast commitment 
of the United States to Israel's security, to maintain its qualitative 
edge, and to strengthen Israel's ability to deter and defend itself, by 
itself, against any threat or a possible combination of threats.
    The United States and Israel will sign a Memorandum of Understanding 
(MOU) which will express their joint intention to restructure U.S. 
bilateral assistance to Israel. The MOU will state the United States' 
intention to sustain its annual military assistance to Israel, and 
incrementally increase its level by one-third over the next decade to a 
level of $2.4 billion subject to Congressional consultations and 
approval. At the same time, the MOU will provide for a gradual phase-out 
of U.S. economic aid to Israel, over a comparable period, as the Israeli 
economy grows more robust, less dependent on foreign aid, and more 
integrated in world markets
    The two leaders also reviewed the status of the U.S.-Israeli defense 
relationship and agreed that existing defense channels of coordination 
and cooperation work effectively. These would have to be further 
consolidated and strengthened under a Defense Policy Advisory Group 
(DPAG) to meet the new challenges of WMD, counter proliferation (CP) and 
theater missile defense (TMD). The Group will coordinate and plan the 
cooperation between the U.S. Department of Defense and the Israeli 
Ministry of Defense.
    In addition, the two leaders agreed on the components of the $1.2 
billion military aid package for Israel that the Administration has 
already requested from Congress. The President assured the Prime 
Minister of his intention to work closely with the Congress to seek 
expedited action for funding, starting in FY 1999, for this package to 
support Israel as it implements the Wye River Memorandum. The package 
will have three components:
    Assistance to the Israeli Defense Forces as they carry out further 
      redeployments, including projects which will be managed by the 
      U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
    Assistance in meeting Israel's broader strategic requirements, 
      including Theater Missile Defense (TMD), helicopters, and 
      communications equipment and munitions.
    Assistance in meeting the increased cost of Israeli counter-
      terrorism efforts.
    The two leaders also agreed on the importance of spreading the 
benefits of peace to all those who participate in the process. In that 
context, they expressed support for the $400 million in assistance to 
the Palestinian people and $300 million for Jordan that is part of the 
Administration's request to Congress to support implementation of the 
Wye River Memorandum.
    President Clinton and Prime Minister Barak agreed that Israel faces 
new challenges in the strategic arena, particularly the proliferation of 
weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles that threaten to 
undermine Israel's security. In this context, the two leaders agreed to 
step up the overall bilateral cooperation and coordination, as well as 
to implement a number of measures designed to help Israel meet these 
emerging threats:
    The United States will provide funding for Israel's acquisition of a 
      Third Arrow battery that will enhance the protection of Israel's 
      citizens from ballistic missile attacks.

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    The United States and Israel will expand their collaborative efforts 
      to develop new technologies and systems designed to deal with 
      ballistic missiles.
    The two leaders will establish a Strategic Policy Planning Group 
      (SPPG), composed of senior representatives of the relevant 
      national security entities of both countries. It will be tasked to 
      develop and submit recommendations on measures to bolster Israel's 
      indigenous defense and deterrent capabilities, as well as the 
      bilateral cooperation to meet the strategic threats Israel faces. 
      The SPPG will also consider ways to minimize risks and costs, to 
      enhance Israel's security, and address its other needs related to 
      national security which arise in the context of steps Israel might 
      take to achieve a comprehensive peace. The SPPG will report to the 
      President and the Prime Minister at four month intervals. The two 
      leaders agreed to meet in joint session at regular intervals.
    Another area of mutual concern that was discussed between the two 
leaders was the growing threat of WMD terrorism. This was acknowledged 
to be an area in which both countries stood much to gain from each 
others knowledge and experience. In order to enhance their capability to 
deal effectively with this threat, it was agreed to sign a new MOU 
between their respective national security institutions. It would 
facilitate broad cooperation between the various government agencies in 
both countries in all areas associated with preparing and responding to 
WMD terrorism.
    One specific area of economic cooperation discussed between the two 
leaders pertains to water resources. They have noted the growing 
scarcity of water in the Middle East, and also recognized the potential 
inherent in bilateral, as well as regional, cooperation to turn water 
from a potential source of conflict into a force of regional stability 
and prosperity in the region. Toward that end, the United States has 
pledged to work with Israel, both bilaterally and with other regional 
partners and their private sectors, to promote the development of new 
and additional sources of water, including desalination, and to examine 
ways to transfer water to arid lands, and to manage existing water 
resources more efficiently. A joint task force will explore specific 
measures that could be carried out in this domain, and will submit its 
recommendations to President Clinton and Prime Minister Barak by the end 
of 1999.
    The President and the Prime Minister have also agreed that promoting 
tourism to Israel and the entire region presents a unique opportunity to 
promote cooperation and spread economic benefits to the peoples of the 
Middle East. Both sides agreed to explore specific steps to develop this 
unique potential together, and with other interested regional partners 
and their private sectors, beginning the fall of 1999.
    Finally, President Clinton and Prime Minister Barak agreed that 
scientific cooperation between Israel and the United States will benefit 
the peoples of both countries, as they enter the 21st century. In this 
context, they agreed to enhance cooperation in the peaceful uses of 
space. A joint working group of NASA and the Israel Space Agency (ISA) 
will be established to develop new areas of joint cooperation, including 
educational activities, scientific research and the development of 
practical applications in the peaceful use of space for the benefit of 
people around the world. The President also informed the Prime Minister 
that an Israeli astronaut and payload of Israeli experiments would fly 
on a shuttle mission in the year 2000.
    Upon concluding the Prime Minister's visit, the two leaders 
expressed their shared conviction that these meetings have laid the 
foundations for a vigorous effort to bring an end to the Arab-Israeli 
conflict, as well as for even closer American-Israeli ties based on the 
U.S. ironclad commitment to Israel's security. The two leaders called 
upon the other leaders of the region to lend their support to this 
effort to bring comprehensive peace, security, and prosperity to the 
peoples of the Middle East.

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this joint statement.

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