[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 3 (Monday, January 24, 2000)]
[Pages 120-122]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Prior to Discussions With Chairman Yasser Arafat of the 
Palestinian Authority and an Exchange With Reporters

January 20, 2000

Israel-Palestinian Peace Talks

    President Clinton. Let me just say I am delighted to have Chairman 
Arafat back in the White House. As all of you know, I am absolutely 
committed to seeing a comprehensive peace agreement involving the 
Palestinians and the Israelis, committed to doing whatever I can to 
achieve that. The resolution of the issues between Palestinians and 
Israelis is at the core of the comprehensive effort that we all want to 
make for peace throughout the Middle East, and we have to work through 
them.
    As in any process like this, there must be inevitable and difficult 
compromises. No one can get everything that either side wants. But

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I'm convinced we can get there, and I'm convinced that Chairman Arafat 
is proceeding in great good faith, and so I'm glad to see him, glad he's 
here.
    Q. Mr. President, is it possible for these talks to be completed by 
the deadline for the framework agreement? And if not, would you support 
extending it?
    President Clinton. Well, I think that will have to be worked out 
between the two sides, and specifically between Chairman Arafat and 
Prime Minister Barak. And they will work that out. I think the main 
thing I want you to know is that I'm convinced it's possible for them to 
reach a comprehensive peace in a reasonably short period of time. And 
I'm going to do whatever I can to facilitate it.
    Q. Chairman Arafat, so far you've got promises and no action. How 
optimistic are you, sir, about the implementation of the accords?
    Chairman Arafat. First of all, a few days ago we did receive the 5 
percent of the territories according to the Sharm al-Sheikh agreement. 
And within 2 weeks we will receive the 6th percent. And this is 
something that Prime Minister Barak and I agreed to 24 hours, 48 hours 
before arriving in the United States.
    There is no doubt that there will be difficulties along the way. 
These are expected difficulties. But there is also determination that we 
have to reach the comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in the Middle 
East, not only on the Palestinian track but also on the Syrian and 
Lebanese tracks, as well.
    And here I would like to take this opportunity to thank President 
Clinton for all the efforts that he's exerting on the Syrian track, the 
Lebanese track, and of course, on our Palestinian track.
    Q. Mr. Chairman, what do you think of the President's remark, which 
was said earlier at the State Department--so it must be U.S. policy, 
we're hearing it all over town now--that nobody can expect 100 percent, 
that there has to be some compromise. You know, we've just had an 
experience with Syria insisting on 100 percent, and the talks are now 
suspended. Will you settle for less than 100 percent of your demands?
    President Clinton. I don't agree with that, by the way, that 
characterization of the question in the Syrian-Israeli talks.
    Q. Okay.
    Chairman Arafat. The negotiations is the best way. This is what 
happened with Egypt; this is what happened with Jordan; and this is what 
will happen with Syria, as well as Lebanon; and also it happened with 
the Palestinians with the help of President Clinton.
    Q. Missing the deadline of February, will that inevitably mean the 
missing of the deadline of September, too, or will you work not to do 
that?
    President Clinton. I don't think anything is inevitable here. I 
think that both these leaders and these parties are absolutely committed 
to resolving this in the most expeditious possible way. So I think we 
should always let them speak for themselves and make their own 
decisions, and I'll do my best to be helpful.
    Q. [Inaudible]--comprehensive peace in the Middle East in that one 
year?
    President Clinton. Well, we certainly could have, and I'll be 
disappointed if we don't, because we have the leaders who can do it, the 
issues are clear--even if they're difficult, they're clear. And I 
certainly think we could have it, and I'm going to do everything I can, 
every day I've got to try to achieve it.

Israel-Syria Peace Talks

    Q. Mr. President, when can we expect talks on the Syrian tracks to 
be resumed?
    President Clinton. I think they'll both have something to say about 
that before long. I think they'll keep working right along. This is 
not--you shouldn't overreact to what has been said about this. I think 
they're both completely determined to get this resolved in an 
appropriate way. And I think they'll have things to say about it as we 
go along here. But don't read too much into this. Actually, the parties 
have a framework for making these decisions that's more clear and more 
bridgeable than I would have thought by now.

Note: The President spoke at 3:22 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, the President referred to Prime Minister Ehud

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Barak of Israel. A tape was not available for verification of the 
content of these remarks.