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last updated May 25, 2011 published May 24, 2011Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Addresses a Joint Session of the US Congress, May 24, 2011
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Benjamin Netanyahu, US Congress, US-Israel relations, Israel-US relations, peace process, negotiations, 1967 borders, settlements, refugees, Jordan Valley, security, Jerusalem |
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Summary: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells the US Congress to standing ovations that he is willing to give up some land in a peace deal with Palestinians. He then lists the issues where he is not willing to compromise: Jerusalem will remain Israeli, no Palestinian refugees will be allowed to return, Israel will maintain a presence in the Jordan Valley, and Israel will not return to the "indefensible" 1967 borders.
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News
Israel moves to launch university in West Bank settlement Jan. 21, 2010 ‘Citizen journalism‘ focuses on Israeli occupation May 24, 2012 ‘No travel‘ order issued to Palestinian settlement expert Feb. 4, 2010

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Multimedia
BTselem: Palestinians displaced in Gaza war still in tents
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama, May 20, 2011
Muslims cross Qalandiya checkpoint in Ramadan
AFP: Israel defiant on settlements as it celebrates Jerusalem Day

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Documents A Comparative Analysis of Israeli Settlement Construction in the West Bank between 2004 and 2008 A Wall on the Green Line? Netanyahu addresses the Foreign Press Association in Israel, Jan. 20, 2010

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Publications Foreign Aid and Development in Palestine - Phase I Report il-Istaytan Tahadi il-Salaam The Reality of Jerusalem‘s Palestinians Today

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Background Oslo accords Bilin Camp David II

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Resources "After Annapolis," Bitterlemons Dec. 3, 2007 "Ariel College upgrades status," Haaretz, Aug. 2, 2007 "Frequently asked questions on the anti terrorism fence" Israel ministry of foreign affairs, April 2009

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Document Text | May 24, 2011
I am deeply honored by your warm welcome. And I am deeply honored that
you have given me the opportunity to address Congress a second time.
Mr. Vice President, do you remember the time we were the new kids in
town?
And I do see a lot of old friends here. And I do see a lot of new
friends of Israel here. Democrats and Republicans alike.
Israel has no better friend than America. And America has no better
friend than Israel. We stand together to defend democracy. We stand
together to advance peace. We stand together to fight terrorism.
Congratulations America, Congratulations, Mr. President. You got bin
Laden. Good riddance!
In an unstable Middle East, Israel is the one anchor of stability. In a
region of shifting alliances, Israel is America’s unwavering ally.
Israel has always been pro-American. Israel will always be pro-American.
My friends, you don’t need to do nation building in Israel. We’re
already built. You don’t need to export democracy to Israel. We’ve
already got it. You don’t need to send American troops to defend Israel.
We defend ourselves. You’ve been very generous in giving us tools to do
the job of defending Israel on our own. Thank you all, and thank you
President Obama, for your steadfast commitment to Israel’s security. I
know economic times are tough. I deeply appreciate this.
Support for Israel’s security is a wise investment in our common future.
For an epic battle is now unfolding in the Middle East, between tyranny
and freedom. A great convulsion is shaking the earth from the Khyber
Pass to the Straits of Gibraltar. The tremors have shattered states and
toppled governments. And we can all see that the ground is still
shifting. Now this historic moment holds the promise of a new dawn of
freedom and opportunity. Millions of young people are determined to
change their future. We all look at them. They muster courage. They risk
their lives. They demand dignity. They desire liberty.
These extraordinary scenes in Tunis and Cairo, evoke those of Berlin and
Prague in 1989. Yet as we share their hopes, but we also must also
remember that those hopes could be snuffed out as they were in Tehran in
1979. You remember what happened then. The brief democratic spring in
Iran was cut short by a ferocious and unforgiving tyranny. This same
tyranny smothered Lebanon’s democratic Cedar Revolution, and inflicted
on that long-suffering country, the medieval rule of Hezbollah.
So today, the Middle East stands at a fateful crossroads. Like all of
you, I pray that the peoples of the region choose the path less
travelled, the path of liberty. No one knows what this path consists of
better than you. This path is not paved by elections alone. It is paved
when governments permit protests in town squares, when limits are placed
on the powers of rulers, when judges are beholden to laws and not men,
and when human rights cannot be crushed by tribal loyalties or mob rule.
Israel has always embraced this path, in the Middle East has long
rejected it. In a region where women are stoned, gays are hanged,
Christians are persecuted, Israel stands out. It is different.
As the great English writer George Eliot predicted over a century ago,
that once established, the Jewish state will “shine like a bright star
of freedom amid the despotisms of the East.” Well, she was right. We
have a free press, independent courts, an open economy, rambunctious
parliamentary debates. You think you guys are tough on one another in
Congress? Come spend a day in the Knesset. Be my guest.
Courageous Arab protesters, are now struggling to secure these very same
rights for their peoples, for their societies. We’re proud that over
one million Arab citizens of Israel have been enjoying these rights for
decades. Of the 300 million Arabs in the Middle East and North Africa,
only Israel’s Arab citizens enjoy real democratic rights. I want you to
stop for a second and think about that. Of those 300 million Arabs, less
than one-half of one-percent are truly free, and they’re all citizens
of Israel!
This startling fact reveals a basic truth: Israel is not what is wrong
about the Middle East. Israel is what is right about the Middle East.
Israel fully supports the desire of Arab peoples in our region to live
freely. We long for the day when Israel will be one of many real
democracies in the Middle East.
Fifteen years ago, I stood at this very podium, and said that democracy
must start to take root in the Arab World. Well, it’s begun to take
root. This beginning holds the promise of a brilliant future of peace
and prosperity. For I believe that a Middle East that is genuinely
democratic will be a Middle East truly at peace.
But while we hope and work for the best, we must also recognize that
powerful forces oppose this future. They oppose modernity. They oppose
democracy. They oppose peace.
Foremost among these forces is Iran. The tyranny in Tehran brutalizes
its own people. It supports attacks against American troops in
Afghanistan and Iraq. It subjugates Lebanon and Gaza. It sponsors terror
worldwide.
When I last stood here, I spoke of the dire consequences of Iran
developing nuclear weapons. Now time is running out, and the hinge of
history may soon turn. For the greatest danger facing humanity could
soon be upon us: A militant Islamic regime armed with nuclear weapons.
Militant Islam threatens the world. It threatens Islam. I have no doubt
that it will ultimately be defeated. It will eventually succumb to the
forces of freedom and progress. But like other fanaticisms that were
doomed to fail, militant Islam could exact a horrific price from all of
us before its inevitable demise.
A nuclear-armed Iran would ignite a nuclear arms race in the Middle
East. It would give terrorists a nuclear umbrella. It would make the
nightmare of nuclear terrorism a clear and present danger throughout the
world. I want you to understand what this means. They could put the
bomb anywhere. They could put it on a missile. It could be on a
container ship in a port, or in a suitcase on a subway.
Now the threat to my country cannot be overstated. Those who dismiss it
are sticking their heads in the sand. Less than seven decades after six
million Jews were murdered, Iran’s leaders deny the Holocaust of the
Jewish people, while calling for the annihilation of the Jewish state.
Leaders who spew such venom, should be banned from every respectable
forum on the planet. But there is something that makes the outrage even
greater: The lack of outrage. In much of the international community,
the calls for our destruction are met with utter silence. It is even
worse because there are many who rush to condemn Israel for defending
itself against Iran’s terror proxies.
But not you. Not America. You have acted differently. You’ve condemned
the Iranian regime for its genocidal aims. You’ve passed tough sanctions
against Iran. History will salute you America.
President Obama has said that the United States is determined to prevent
Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He successfully led the Security
Council to adopt sanctions against Iran. You in Congress passed even
tougher sanctions. These words and deeds are vitally important.
Yet the Ayatollah regime briefly suspended its nuclear program only
once, in 2003, when it feared the possibility of military action. That
same year, Muammar Qadaffi gave up his nuclear weapons program, and for
the same reason. The more Iran believes that all options are on the
table, the less the chance of confrontation. This is why I ask you to
continue to send an unequivocal message: That America will never permit
Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
As for Israel, if history has taught the Jewish people anything, it is
that we must take calls for our destruction seriously. We are a nation
that rose from the ashes of the Holocaust. When we say never again, we
mean never again. Israel always reserves the right to defend itself.
My friends, while Israel will be ever vigilant in its defense, we will
never give up on our quest for peace. I guess we’ll give it up when we
achieve it. Israel wants peace. Israel needs peace. We’ve achieved
historic peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan that have held up for
decades.
I remember what it was like before we had peace. I was nearly killed in a
firefight inside the Suez Canal. I mean that literally. I battled
terrorists along both banks of the Jordan River. Too many Israelis have
lost loved ones. I know their grief. I lost my brother.
So no one in Israel wants a return to those terrible days. The peace
with Egypt and Jordan has long served as an anchor of stability and
peace in the heart of the Middle East.
This peace should be bolstered by economic and political support to all
those who remain committed to peace.
The peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan are vital. But they’re not
enough. We must also find a way to forge a lasting peace with the
Palestinians. Two years ago, I publicly committed to a solution of two
states for two peoples: A Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state.
I am willing to make painful compromises to achieve this historic peace.
As the leader of Israel, it is my responsibility to lead my people to
peace.
This is not easy for me. I recognize that in a genuine peace, we will be
required to give up parts of the Jewish homeland. In Judea and Samaria,
the Jewish people are not foreign occupiers. We are not the British in
India. We are not the Belgians in the Congo.
This is the land of our forefathers, the Land of Israel, to which
Abraham brought the idea of one God, where David set out to confront
Goliath, and where Isaiah saw a vision of eternal peace. No distortion
of history can deny the four thousand year old bond, between the Jewish
people and the Jewish land.
But there is another truth: The Palestinians share this small land with
us. We seek a peace in which they will be neither Israel’s subjects nor
its citizens. They should enjoy a national life of dignity as a free,
viable and independent people in their own state. They should enjoy a
prosperous economy, where their creativity and initiative can flourish.
We’ve already seen the beginnings of what is possible. In the last two
years,
the Palestinians have begun to build a better life for themselves. Prime
Minister Fayad has led this effort. I wish him a speedy recovery from
his recent operation.
We’ve helped the Palestinian economy by removing hundreds of barriers
and roadblocks to the free flow of goods and people. The results have
been nothing short of remarkable. The Palestinian economy is booming.
It’s growing by more than 10% a year.
Palestinian cities look very different today than they did just a few
years ago. They have shopping malls, movie theaters, restaurants, banks.
They even have e-businesses. This is all happening without peace.
Imagine what could happen with peace. Peace would herald a new day for
both peoples. It would make the dream of a broader Arab-Israeli peace a
realistic possibility.
So now here is the question. You have to ask it. If the benefits of
peace with the Palestinians are so clear, why has peace eluded us?
Because all six Israeli Prime Ministers since the signing of Oslo
accords agreed to establish a Palestinian state. Myself included. So why
has peace not been achieved? Because so far, the Palestinians have been
unwilling to accept a Palestinian state, if it meant accepting a Jewish
state alongside it.
You see, our conflict has never been about the establishment of a
Palestinian state. It has always been about the existence of the Jewish
state. This is what this conflict is about. In 1947, the United Nations
voted to partition the land into a Jewish state and an Arab state. The
Jews said yes. The Palestinians said no. In recent years, the
Palestinians twice refused generous offers by Israeli Prime Ministers,
to establish a Palestinian state on virtually all the territory won by
Israel in the Six Day War.
They were simply unwilling to end the conflict. And I regret to say
this: They continue to educate their children to hate. They continue to
name public squares after terrorists. And worst of all, they continue to
perpetuate the fantasy that Israel will one day be flooded by the
descendants of Palestinian refugees.
My friends, this must come to an end. President Abbas must do what I
have done. I stood before my people, and I told you it wasn’t easy for
me, and I said… “I will accept a Palestinian state.” It is time for
President Abbas to stand before his people and say… “I will accept a
Jewish state.”
Those six words will change history. They will make clear to the
Palestinians that this conflict must come to an end. That they are not
building a state to continue the conflict with Israel, but to end it.
They will convince the people of Israel that they have a true partner
for peace. With such a partner, the people of Israel will be prepared to
make a far reaching compromise. I will be prepared to make a far
reaching compromise.
This compromise must reflect the dramatic demographic changes that have
occurred since 1967. The vast majority of the 650,000 Israelis who live
beyond the 1967 lines, reside in neighborhoods and suburbs of Jerusalem
and Greater Tel Aviv.
These areas are densely populated but geographically quite small. Under
any realistic peace agreement, these areas, as well as other places of
critical strategic and national importance, will be incorporated into
the final borders of Israel.
The status of the settlements will be decided only in negotiations. But
we must also be honest. So I am saying today something that should be
said publicly by anyone serious about peace. In any peace agreement that
ends the conflict, some settlements will end up beyond Israel’s
borders. The precise delineation of those borders must be negotiated. We
will be very generous on the size of a future Palestinian state. But as
President Obama said, the border will be different than the one that
existed on June 4, 1967. Israel will not return to the indefensible
lines of 1967.
We recognize that a Palestinian state must be big enough to be viable,
independent and prosperous. President Obama rightly referred to Israel
as the homeland of the Jewish people, just as he referred to the future
Palestinian state as the homeland of the Palestinian people. Jews from
around the world have a right to immigrate to the Jewish state.
Palestinians from around the world should have a right to immigrate, if
they so choose, to a Palestinian state. This means that the Palestinian
refugee problem will be resolved outside the borders of Israel.
As for Jerusalem, only a democratic Israel has protected freedom of
worship for all faiths in the city. Jerusalem must never again be
divided. Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel. I know that
this is a difficult issue for Palestinians. But I believe with
creativity and goodwill a solution can be found.
This is the peace I plan to forge with a Palestinian partner committed
to peace. But you know very well, that in the Middle East, the only
peace that will hold is a peace you can defend.
So peace must be anchored in security. In recent years, Israel withdrew
from South Lebanon and Gaza. But we didn’t get peace. Instead, we got
12,000 thousand rockets fired from those areas on our cities, on our
children, by Hezbollah and Hamas. The UN peacekeepers in Lebanon failed
to prevent the smuggling of this weaponry. The European observers in
Gaza evaporated overnight. So if Israel simply walked out of the
territories, the flow of weapons into a future Palestinian state would
be unchecked. Missiles fired from it could reach virtually every home in
Israel in less than a minute. I want you to think about that too.
Imagine that right now we all had less than 60 seconds to find shelter
from an incoming rocket. Would you live that way? Would anyone live that
way? Well, we aren’t going to live that way either.
The truth is that Israel needs unique security arrangements because of
its unique size. Israel is one of the smallest countries in the world.
Mr. Vice President, I’ll grant you this. It’s bigger than Delaware. It’s
even bigger than Rhode Island. But that’s about it. Israel on the 1967
lines would be half the width of the Washington Beltway.
Now here’s a bit of nostalgia. I first came to Washington thirty years
ago as a young diplomat. It took me a while, but I finally figured it
out: There is an America beyond the Beltway. But Israel on the 1967
lines would be only nine miles wide. So much for strategic depth.
So it is therefore absolutely vital for Israel’s security that a
Palestinian state be fully demilitarized. And it is vital that Israel
maintain a long-term military presence along the Jordan River. Solid
security arrangements on the ground are necessary not only to protect
the peace, they are necessary to protect Israel in case the peace
unravels. For in our unstable region, no one can guarantee that our
peace partners today will be there tomorrow.
And when I say tomorrow, I don’t mean some distant time in the future. I
mean — tomorrow. Peace can be achieved only around the negotiating
table. The Palestinian attempt to impose a settlement through the United
Nations will not bring peace. It should be forcefully opposed by all
those who want to see this conflict end.
I appreciate the President’s clear position on this issue. Peace cannot
be imposed. It must be negotiated. But it can only be negotiated with
partners committed to peace.
And Hamas is not a partner for peace. Hamas remains committed to
Israel’s destruction and to terrorism. They have a charter. That charter
not only calls for the obliteration of Israel, but says ‘kill the Jews
wherever you find them’. Hamas’ leader condemned the killing of Osama
bin Laden and praised him as a holy warrior. Now again I want to make
this clear. Israel is prepared to sit down today and negotiate peace
with the Palestinian Authority. I believe we can fashion a brilliant
future of peace for our children. But Israel will not negotiate with a
Palestinian government backed by the Palestinian version of Al Qaeda.
So I say to President Abbas: Tear up your pact with Hamas! Sit down and
negotiate! Make peace with the Jewish state! And if you do, I promise
you this. Israel will not be the last country to welcome a Palestinian
state as a new member of the United Nations. It will be the first to do
so.
My friends, the momentous trials of the last century, and the unfolding
events of this century, attest to the decisive role of the United States
in advancing peace and defending freedom. Providence entrusted the
United States to be the guardian of liberty. All peoples who cherish
freedom owe a profound debt of gratitude to your great nation. Among the
most grateful nations is my nation, the people of Israel, who have
fought for their liberty and survival against impossible odds, in
ancient and modern times alike.
I speak on behalf of the Jewish people and the Jewish state when I say
to you, representatives of America, Thank you. Thank you for your
unwavering support for Israel. Thank you for ensuring that the flame of
freedom burns bright throughout the world. May God bless all of you. And
may God forever bless the United States of America.
| Document Text | May 24, 2011
I am deeply honored by your warm welcome. And I am deeply honored that
you have given me the opportunity to address Congress a second time.
Mr. Vice President, do you remember the time we were the new kids in
town?
And I do see a lot of old friends here. And I do see a lot of new
friends of Israel here. Democrats and Republicans alike.
Israel has no better friend than America. And America has no better
friend than Israel. We stand together to defend democracy. We stand
together to advance peace. We stand together to fight terrorism.
Congratulations America, Congratulations, Mr. President. You got bin
Laden. Good riddance!
In an unstable Middle East, Israel is the one anchor of stability. In a
region of shifting alliances, Israel is America’s unwavering ally.
Israel has always been pro-American. Israel will always be pro-American.
My friends, you don’t need to do nation building in Israel. We’re
already built. You don’t need to export democracy to Israel. We’ve
already got it. You don’t need to send American troops to defend Israel.
We defend ourselves. You’ve been very generous in giving us tools to do
the job of defending Israel on our own. Thank you all, and thank you
President Obama, for your steadfast commitment to Israel’s security. I
know economic times are tough. I deeply appreciate this.
Support for Israel’s security is a wise investment in our common future.
For an epic battle is now unfolding in the Middle East, between tyranny
and freedom. A great convulsion is shaking the earth from the Khyber
Pass to the Straits of Gibraltar. The tremors have shattered states and
toppled governments. And we can all see that the ground is still
shifting. Now this historic moment holds the promise of a new dawn of
freedom and opportunity. Millions of young people are determined to
change their future. We all look at them. They muster courage. They risk
their lives. They demand dignity. They desire liberty.
These extraordinary scenes in Tunis and Cairo, evoke those of Berlin and
Prague in 1989. Yet as we share their hopes, but we also must also
remember that those hopes could be snuffed out as they were in Tehran in
1979. You remember what happened then. The brief democratic spring in
Iran was cut short by a ferocious and unforgiving tyranny. This same
tyranny smothered Lebanon’s democratic Cedar Revolution, and inflicted
on that long-suffering country, the medieval rule of Hezbollah.
So today, the Middle East stands at a fateful crossroads. Like all of
you, I pray that the peoples of the region choose the path less
travelled, the path of liberty. No one knows what this path consists of
better than you. This path is not paved by elections alone. It is paved
when governments permit protests in town squares, when limits are placed
on the powers of rulers, when judges are beholden to laws and not men,
and when human rights cannot be crushed by tribal loyalties or mob rule.
Israel has always embraced this path, in the Middle East has long
rejected it. In a region where women are stoned, gays are hanged,
Christians are persecuted, Israel stands out. It is different.
As the great English writer George Eliot predicted over a century ago,
that once established, the Jewish state will “shine like a bright star
of freedom amid the despotisms of the East.” Well, she was right. We
have a free press, independent courts, an open economy, rambunctious
parliamentary debates. You think you guys are tough on one another in
Congress? Come spend a day in the Knesset. Be my guest.
Courageous Arab protesters, are now struggling to secure these very same
rights for their peoples, for their societies. We’re proud that over
one million Arab citizens of Israel have been enjoying these rights for
decades. Of the 300 million Arabs in the Middle East and North Africa,
only Israel’s Arab citizens enjoy real democratic rights. I want you to
stop for a second and think about that. Of those 300 million Arabs, less
than one-half of one-percent are truly free, and they’re all citizens
of Israel!
This startling fact reveals a basic truth: Israel is not what is wrong
about the Middle East. Israel is what is right about the Middle East.
Israel fully supports the desire of Arab peoples in our region to live
freely. We long for the day when Israel will be one of many real
democracies in the Middle East.
Fifteen years ago, I stood at this very podium, and said that democracy
must start to take root in the Arab World. Well, it’s begun to take
root. This beginning holds the promise of a brilliant future of peace
and prosperity. For I believe that a Middle East that is genuinely
democratic will be a Middle East truly at peace.
But while we hope and work for the best, we must also recognize that
powerful forces oppose this future. They oppose modernity. They oppose
democracy. They oppose peace.
Foremost among these forces is Iran. The tyranny in Tehran brutalizes
its own people. It supports attacks against American troops in
Afghanistan and Iraq. It subjugates Lebanon and Gaza. It sponsors terror
worldwide.
When I last stood here, I spoke of the dire consequences of Iran
developing nuclear weapons. Now time is running out, and the hinge of
history may soon turn. For the greatest danger facing humanity could
soon be upon us: A militant Islamic regime armed with nuclear weapons.
Militant Islam threatens the world. It threatens Islam. I have no doubt
that it will ultimately be defeated. It will eventually succumb to the
forces of freedom and progress. But like other fanaticisms that were
doomed to fail, militant Islam could exact a horrific price from all of
us before its inevitable demise.
A nuclear-armed Iran would ignite a nuclear arms race in the Middle
East. It would give terrorists a nuclear umbrella. It would make the
nightmare of nuclear terrorism a clear and present danger throughout the
world. I want you to understand what this means. They could put the
bomb anywhere. They could put it on a missile. It could be on a
container ship in a port, or in a suitcase on a subway.
Now the threat to my country cannot be overstated. Those who dismiss it
are sticking their heads in the sand. Less than seven decades after six
million Jews were murdered, Iran’s leaders deny the Holocaust of the
Jewish people, while calling for the annihilation of the Jewish state.
Leaders who spew such venom, should be banned from every respectable
forum on the planet. But there is something that makes the outrage even
greater: The lack of outrage. In much of the international community,
the calls for our destruction are met with utter silence. It is even
worse because there are many who rush to condemn Israel for defending
itself against Iran’s terror proxies.
But not you. Not America. You have acted differently. You’ve condemned
the Iranian regime for its genocidal aims. You’ve passed tough sanctions
against Iran. History will salute you America.
President Obama has said that the United States is determined to prevent
Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He successfully led the Security
Council to adopt sanctions against Iran. You in Congress passed even
tougher sanctions. These words and deeds are vitally important.
Yet the Ayatollah regime briefly suspended its nuclear program only
once, in 2003, when it feared the possibility of military action. That
same year, Muammar Qadaffi gave up his nuclear weapons program, and for
the same reason. The more Iran believes that all options are on the
table, the less the chance of confrontation. This is why I ask you to
continue to send an unequivocal message: That America will never permit
Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
As for Israel, if history has taught the Jewish people anything, it is
that we must take calls for our destruction seriously. We are a nation
that rose from the ashes of the Holocaust. When we say never again, we
mean never again. Israel always reserves the right to defend itself.
My friends, while Israel will be ever vigilant in its defense, we will
never give up on our quest for peace. I guess we’ll give it up when we
achieve it. Israel wants peace. Israel needs peace. We’ve achieved
historic peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan that have held up for
decades.
I remember what it was like before we had peace. I was nearly killed in a
firefight inside the Suez Canal. I mean that literally. I battled
terrorists along both banks of the Jordan River. Too many Israelis have
lost loved ones. I know their grief. I lost my brother.
So no one in Israel wants a return to those terrible days. The peace
with Egypt and Jordan has long served as an anchor of stability and
peace in the heart of the Middle East.
This peace should be bolstered by economic and political support to all
those who remain committed to peace.
The peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan are vital. But they’re not
enough. We must also find a way to forge a lasting peace with the
Palestinians. Two years ago, I publicly committed to a solution of two
states for two peoples: A Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state.
I am willing to make painful compromises to achieve this historic peace.
As the leader of Israel, it is my responsibility to lead my people to
peace.
This is not easy for me. I recognize that in a genuine peace, we will be
required to give up parts of the Jewish homeland. In Judea and Samaria,
the Jewish people are not foreign occupiers. We are not the British in
India. We are not the Belgians in the Congo.
This is the land of our forefathers, the Land of Israel, to which
Abraham brought the idea of one God, where David set out to confront
Goliath, and where Isaiah saw a vision of eternal peace. No distortion
of history can deny the four thousand year old bond, between the Jewish
people and the Jewish land.
But there is another truth: The Palestinians share this small land with
us. We seek a peace in which they will be neither Israel’s subjects nor
its citizens. They should enjoy a national life of dignity as a free,
viable and independent people in their own state. They should enjoy a
prosperous economy, where their creativity and initiative can flourish.
We’ve already seen the beginnings of what is possible. In the last two
years,
the Palestinians have begun to build a better life for themselves. Prime
Minister Fayad has led this effort. I wish him a speedy recovery from
his recent operation.
We’ve helped the Palestinian economy by removing hundreds of barriers
and roadblocks to the free flow of goods and people. The results have
been nothing short of remarkable. The Palestinian economy is booming.
It’s growing by more than 10% a year.
Palestinian cities look very different today than they did just a few
years ago. They have shopping malls, movie theaters, restaurants, banks.
They even have e-businesses. This is all happening without peace.
Imagine what could happen with peace. Peace would herald a new day for
both peoples. It would make the dream of a broader Arab-Israeli peace a
realistic possibility.
So now here is the question. You have to ask it. If the benefits of
peace with the Palestinians are so clear, why has peace eluded us?
Because all six Israeli Prime Ministers since the signing of Oslo
accords agreed to establish a Palestinian state. Myself included. So why
has peace not been achieved? Because so far, the Palestinians have been
unwilling to accept a Palestinian state, if it meant accepting a Jewish
state alongside it.
You see, our conflict has never been about the establishment of a
Palestinian state. It has always been about the existence of the Jewish
state. This is what this conflict is about. In 1947, the United Nations
voted to partition the land into a Jewish state and an Arab state. The
Jews said yes. The Palestinians said no. In recent years, the
Palestinians twice refused generous offers by Israeli Prime Ministers,
to establish a Palestinian state on virtually all the territory won by
Israel in the Six Day War.
They were simply unwilling to end the conflict. And I regret to say
this: They continue to educate their children to hate. They continue to
name public squares after terrorists. And worst of all, they continue to
perpetuate the fantasy that Israel will one day be flooded by the
descendants of Palestinian refugees.
My friends, this must come to an end. President Abbas must do what I
have done. I stood before my people, and I told you it wasn’t easy for
me, and I said… “I will accept a Palestinian state.” It is time for
President Abbas to stand before his people and say… “I will accept a
Jewish state.”
Those six words will change history. They will make clear to the
Palestinians that this conflict must come to an end. That they are not
building a state to continue the conflict with Israel, but to end it.
They will convince the people of Israel that they have a true partner
for peace. With such a partner, the people of Israel will be prepared to
make a far reaching compromise. I will be prepared to make a far
reaching compromise.
This compromise must reflect the dramatic demographic changes that have
occurred since 1967. The vast majority of the 650,000 Israelis who live
beyond the 1967 lines, reside in neighborhoods and suburbs of Jerusalem
and Greater Tel Aviv.
These areas are densely populated but geographically quite small. Under
any realistic peace agreement, these areas, as well as other places of
critical strategic and national importance, will be incorporated into
the final borders of Israel.
The status of the settlements will be decided only in negotiations. But
we must also be honest. So I am saying today something that should be
said publicly by anyone serious about peace. In any peace agreement that
ends the conflict, some settlements will end up beyond Israel’s
borders. The precise delineation of those borders must be negotiated. We
will be very generous on the size of a future Palestinian state. But as
President Obama said, the border will be different than the one that
existed on June 4, 1967. Israel will not return to the indefensible
lines of 1967.
We recognize that a Palestinian state must be big enough to be viable,
independent and prosperous. President Obama rightly referred to Israel
as the homeland of the Jewish people, just as he referred to the future
Palestinian state as the homeland of the Palestinian people. Jews from
around the world have a right to immigrate to the Jewish state.
Palestinians from around the world should have a right to immigrate, if
they so choose, to a Palestinian state. This means that the Palestinian
refugee problem will be resolved outside the borders of Israel.
As for Jerusalem, only a democratic Israel has protected freedom of
worship for all faiths in the city. Jerusalem must never again be
divided. Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel. I know that
this is a difficult issue for Palestinians. But I believe with
creativity and goodwill a solution can be found.
This is the peace I plan to forge with a Palestinian partner committed
to peace. But you know very well, that in the Middle East, the only
peace that will hold is a peace you can defend.
So peace must be anchored in security. In recent years, Israel withdrew
from South Lebanon and Gaza. But we didn’t get peace. Instead, we got
12,000 thousand rockets fired from those areas on our cities, on our
children, by Hezbollah and Hamas. The UN peacekeepers in Lebanon failed
to prevent the smuggling of this weaponry. The European observers in
Gaza evaporated overnight. So if Israel simply walked out of the
territories, the flow of weapons into a future Palestinian state would
be unchecked. Missiles fired from it could reach virtually every home in
Israel in less than a minute. I want you to think about that too.
Imagine that right now we all had less than 60 seconds to find shelter
from an incoming rocket. Would you live that way? Would anyone live that
way? Well, we aren’t going to live that way either.
The truth is that Israel needs unique security arrangements because of
its unique size. Israel is one of the smallest countries in the world.
Mr. Vice President, I’ll grant you this. It’s bigger than Delaware. It’s
even bigger than Rhode Island. But that’s about it. Israel on the 1967
lines would be half the width of the Washington Beltway.
Now here’s a bit of nostalgia. I first came to Washington thirty years
ago as a young diplomat. It took me a while, but I finally figured it
out: There is an America beyond the Beltway. But Israel on the 1967
lines would be only nine miles wide. So much for strategic depth.
So it is therefore absolutely vital for Israel’s security that a
Palestinian state be fully demilitarized. And it is vital that Israel
maintain a long-term military presence along the Jordan River. Solid
security arrangements on the ground are necessary not only to protect
the peace, they are necessary to protect Israel in case the peace
unravels. For in our unstable region, no one can guarantee that our
peace partners today will be there tomorrow.
And when I say tomorrow, I don’t mean some distant time in the future. I
mean — tomorrow. Peace can be achieved only around the negotiating
table. The Palestinian attempt to impose a settlement through the United
Nations will not bring peace. It should be forcefully opposed by all
those who want to see this conflict end.
I appreciate the President’s clear position on this issue. Peace cannot
be imposed. It must be negotiated. But it can only be negotiated with
partners committed to peace.
And Hamas is not a partner for peace. Hamas remains committed to
Israel’s destruction and to terrorism. They have a charter. That charter
not only calls for the obliteration of Israel, but says ‘kill the Jews
wherever you find them’. Hamas’ leader condemned the killing of Osama
bin Laden and praised him as a holy warrior. Now again I want to make
this clear. Israel is prepared to sit down today and negotiate peace
with the Palestinian Authority. I believe we can fashion a brilliant
future of peace for our children. But Israel will not negotiate with a
Palestinian government backed by the Palestinian version of Al Qaeda.
So I say to President Abbas: Tear up your pact with Hamas! Sit down and
negotiate! Make peace with the Jewish state! And if you do, I promise
you this. Israel will not be the last country to welcome a Palestinian
state as a new member of the United Nations. It will be the first to do
so.
My friends, the momentous trials of the last century, and the unfolding
events of this century, attest to the decisive role of the United States
in advancing peace and defending freedom. Providence entrusted the
United States to be the guardian of liberty. All peoples who cherish
freedom owe a profound debt of gratitude to your great nation. Among the
most grateful nations is my nation, the people of Israel, who have
fought for their liberty and survival against impossible odds, in
ancient and modern times alike.
I speak on behalf of the Jewish people and the Jewish state when I say
to you, representatives of America, Thank you. Thank you for your
unwavering support for Israel. Thank you for ensuring that the flame of
freedom burns bright throughout the world. May God bless all of you. And
may God forever bless the United States of America.
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