President Bush Meets with Prime Minister Sharon
Remarks by the President and Prime Minister Sharon of Israel in Photo Opportunity
12:00 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: It's my honor to welcome back Israel's Prime
Minister to the Oval Office. Every time the Prime Minister comes, we
have a very frank and good exchange. Like today, we talked about how
to achieve peace in the Middle East. I reiterated my strong view that
we need to work toward two states living side by side in peace. And we
talked about how to achieve this -- how to achieve security and peace
and economic hope for all people in the region.
I appreciate so very much the Prime Minister's coming and
willingness to share his views about his country's future. Every time
he comes I learn a lot, and I want to thank you for coming, Mr. Prime
Minister.
THE PRIME MINISTER: Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: Do you want to say a few things?
THE PRIME MINISTER: Yes. I would like to thank you, Mr.
President, for having me again here. I think it was a very interesting
and fruitful talks about reaching a peace in the Middle East. Israel
is a peace-seeking country. We believe in peace, we are committed to
peace.
Of course, in order to achieve peace in the Middle East, first of
all we have to have security. It should be a full cessation of terror
hostilities and incitement. And, of course, we must have a partner for
negotiations. At the present time, we don't see yet a partner. We
hope it'll be a partner there, with whom we'll be able to move forward,
first to achieve a doable peace in the area and, second, of course, to
provide security to the citizens of our countries.
And of course one of the most important things is how really to
take on the necessary steps to make the life of the Palestinians and
other nations in the region better than they are now. These are, I
would say, were the main subject of our talks today.
Again, thank you so much.
THE PRESIDENT: You bet. Fournier.
Q Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: And then we'll alternate.
Q I have a question to you, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: That's good, that's a -- that's a reform.
Q Is Israel hurting the peace process with repeated incursions
and by ruling out, even as you're trying to jump-start the peace
process, a withdrawal to the country's 1967 borders?
THE PRESIDENT: There are people in the Middle East who want to use
terror as a way to dis-rail -- derail any peace process. And we've
got to work together to create the conditions that prevent a few from
stopping what most people in the region want, which is peace.
Israel has a right to defend herself. And, at the same time as
Israel does so, the Prime Minister is willing to discuss the conditions
necessary to achieve what we want -- which is a secure region and a
hopeful region. And that's why we discussed reforms necessary for the
-- that would enable a Palestinian Authority to emerge, which could
give great confidence to two people, the Israelis and, as important,
the Palestinians. And that's important.
And so we're going to continue to work together, along with other
Arab -- along with some of the Arab leaders to fight off terror, to
prevent the few from dictating against the will of the many in the
region.
Q -- of Israel Channel Two. Mr. President, there's a wide
concern within the Israel government that after the next terror bombs
there should be an expelling of Arafat from the region. What do you
think about it? Do you think it's fruitful, a fruitful move that will,
as you said, would merge the terrorists and the Palestinian side? Or
it's a destructive move that will hurt the peace process?
THE PRESIDENT: I don't think Mr. Arafat is the issue.
Q He is the issue --
THE PRESIDENT: Excuse me for a minute. Let me start over. I
don't think Mr. Arafat is the issue. I think the issue is the
Palestinian people. And as I have expressed myself, I am disappointed
that he has not led in such a way that the Palestinian people have hope
and confidence. And so, therefore, what we've got to do is work to put
institutions in place which will allow for a government to develop
which will bring confidence not only to Israelis, but the
Palestinians.
Steve.
Q Mr. President, sir, what can you tell us about this dirty bomb
plot, is there still a threat? And if this had happened, was
Washington, D.C. the target?
THE PRESIDENT: I can tell you that we have a man detained who is a
threat to the country. And that thanks to the vigilance of our
intelligence gathering and law enforcement he is now off the streets,
where he should be. And I'll let the Defense Department, Justice
Department comment on specifics.
Q -- Radio. Mr. President, I would like to hear your view
about the regional summit we all discussed. Do you think that this
regional summit should be based on the Security Council Number 1397
calling to establish a Palestinian state, which you mention in your
vision? Or do you think it just should be based on the 242 and 338
Resolution that we all know about?
THE PRESIDENT: Look, I think, here's the thing. I think that we
need to have a -- well, first of all, let's get the summit in
context. You're talking about the proposed summit this summer, a
ministerial summit of people that come together to work toward the
conditions necessary to establish a peace. See, the conditions aren't
even there yet -- that's because no one has confidence in the
emerging Palestinian government.
And so, first things first, and that is, what institutions are
necessary to give the Palestinian people hope and to give the Israelis
confidence that the emerging government will be someone with whom they
can deal. And that's going to require security steps; transparency,
when it comes to economic matters; anti-corruption devices; rule of
law, enforced by a court system.
Now, it is very important for people to understand that as these
steps are taken, as this -- people work together to achieve the
institutions necessary for peace, that there is a political process on
the horizon as well. But the ministerial meetings that the Secretary
of State, Colin Powell, suggested are all aimed at achieving --
working toward the foundation necessary for there to be confidence and
eventual peace.