[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 19 (Monday, May 19, 2008)]
[Pages 701-702]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks During a Meeting With President Shimon Peres of Israel in 
Jerusalem, Israel

May 14, 2008

    President Peres. Mr. President, Secretary of State, distinguished 
delegation: I got permission from the Americans to be a--and Miss Tzipi 
Livni, our Foreign Minister--I got permission to be, all my life, an 
optimist. And you bring with you optimism, so I feel a sort of 
competition. [Laughter] But let me say that I know you have elections 
sometimes, by the end of this year, and maybe there will be a change of 
administration, a change of guards. I think before you will leave 
office, you will see a change of guards here in the Middle East.
    President Bush. Yes.
    President Peres. What looks today so gloomy may be the last effort 
by some very extremist group to remain alive. Because it's concentrated, 
it becomes sharp and clear, particularly in two places. In Lebanon, 
Hizballah is simply destroying Lebanon. It's a matter that concerns not 
only the United States or Israel; it concerns the Arab world. For them, 
the destruction of Lebanon is the destruction of statehood in many other 
places. And it's a protest without a message. And the second goes to 
Gaza, where Hamas is responding to the establishment of a Palestinian 
state. I think you, and may I say the Secretary of State, invested so 
much effort to enable the Palestinians to correct the historic mistakes 
in--from 1947, because would they then accept an Arab state, we wouldn't 
have all these troubles. But never the mind, we cannot change the past.
    But today, the real obstacle, when I consider everything else for--
before creation of--the--[inaudible]--recreation of a Palestinian state, 
is Hamas. And talking with the Palestinians, I know that's their view. 
We are not their enemies, as we are not enemies of Lebanon. On the 
contrary, I think we would like to see a united, integrated Lebanon 
living in peace, who don't have any ambitions neither to their water, 
nor to their land, nor to their politics. We would like to see the 
Palestinians living together. They suffered a great deal of their life. 
The separation is a tragedy for them and for the rest of us.
    Now the Arab world will have to take a stand, not about the conflict 
between us and them, but about their own destiny, where are they moving. 
And that will affect us.
    Your 8 years were very moving years for all of us.
    President Bush. Thank you.
    President Peres. [Inaudible]--that you can really watch a friendship 
without any bad mood. And I know that we are not the--[inaudible]--half 
the time. But you never interrupted your understanding, your support----
    President Bush. Thank you.
    President Peres. ----and really trying to do whatever you, your 
administration, and the lady who is on the State Department really did 
then to help us negotiate a difficult time.

[[Page 702]]

    So for us, it's a celebration not only because we're a little bit 
older--60 years, it's not too much--but also because we feel that our 
efforts are not in vain. And it is in this optimistic view that I 
welcome you here.
    President Bush. Thank you, sir.
    President Peres. Thank you.
    President Bush. Mr. President, it's great to be with you. You're 
known as a wise soul, and your comments reflect your wisdom. I am 
delighted to be here for the 60th birthday party. As a person who is 61 
years old, it doesn't seem that old. [Laughter]
    But I suspect if you looked back 60 years ago and tried to guess 
where Israel would be at that time, it would be hard to be able to 
project such a prosperous, hopeful land. No question, people would have 
said, ``Well, we'd be surrounded by hostile forces.'' But I doubt people 
would have been able to see the modern Israel, which is one reason I 
bring so much optimism to the Middle East, because what happened here is 
possible everywhere.
    And the objective of the United States must be to, one, support our 
strongest ally and friend in the Middle East--the only true democracy 
against the forces of terror that you just described--and at the same 
time, talk about a hopeful future.
    So I'm really looking forward to my time here. I want to thank you 
for giving me a chance to speak to the Knesset. I hear it's quite an 
experience. It'll be a huge honor to represent my country for your 60th 
birthday.
    In the meantime, we will continue to work toward a vision of--where 
the--where people who are just reasonable and want a chance to live at 
peace with Israel have that opportunity, and at the same time, speak 
clearly about the forces of terror who murder innocent people to achieve 
their political objectives and how the world must stand against them.
    And so I want to thank you for giving me a chance to come by and see 
you again. And you're looking good. [Laughter] I hope you're feeling 
well.
    Thank you, sir.
    President Peres. Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 2:29 p.m. at the President's Residence.