For your information and records
STATEMENT BY CLINTON on Middle East Cease Fire Agreement (Oct 17)
RE: MIDEAST CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT LOCATION: SHARM EL-SHEIKH, EGYPT
DATE: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2000
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PRESIDENT CLINTON: First of all, I want to thank President
Mubarak and his able team for making it possible for us to have this
meeting that we have held in this magnificent and beautiful place. I
especially want to thank President Mubarak for Egypt's consistent and
pivotal partnership in the peace process and for playing a critical
role in our efforts here.
I also want to thank His Majesty King Abdullah for his steadfast
leadership for peace which, again, was in evidence. I would like to
thank the EU high commissioner, Javier Solana, my long-time friend who
worked with me to bring an end to violence in the Balkans and now is
working in the Middle East. And especially I want to thank Secretary-
General Kofi Annan, who has been here now in the region for more than
a week and who has worked tirelessly to bring an end to violence and
to make this meeting possible.
But, of course, the greatest credit for the progress that we've
made today belongs to Prime Minister Barak and Chairman Arafat, who
have had to overcome the difficulties of these last several days. And
we all recognize that theirs was the primary decision to make.
Our meeting has not been easy because the last two weeks have
been so hard -- a tragic and terrible confrontation costing many lives
and injuries, threatening everything that we have worked to achieve
between Israelis and Palestinians and throughout the region over the
past seven years now. Even as we meet, the situation in the
territories remains tense. Yesterday, again, was violent. This is a
reminder of the urgency of breaking the cycle of violence.
I believe we have made real progress today. Repairing the damage
will take time and great effort by all of us. When we leave here
today we will have to work hard to consolidate what we have agreed.
Let me summarize what has been agreed so there will be no
misunderstanding. Our primary objective has been to end the current
violence so we can begin again to resume our efforts toward peace.
The leaders have agreed on three basic objectives and steps to realize
them.
First, both sides have agreed to issue public statements
unequivocally calling for an end of violence.
They also agreed to take immediate concrete measures to end the
current confrontation, eliminate points of friction, ensure an end to
violence and incitement, maintain calm and prevent recurrence of
recent events. To accomplish this, both side will act immediately to
return the situation to that which existed prior to the current crisis
in areas such as restoring law and order, redeployment of forces,
eliminating points of friction, enhancing security cooperation and
ending the closure and opening the Gaza airport. The United States
will facilitate security cooperation between the parties as needed.
Second, the United States will develop, with the Israelis and
Palestinians, as well as in consultation with the United Nations
secretary-general, a committee of fact-finding on the events of the
past several weeks and how to prevent their recurrence. The
committee's report will be shared by the U.S. president with the U.N.
secretary-general and the parties prior to publication. A final
report shall be submitted under the auspices of the U.S. president for
publication.
Third, if we are to address the underlying roots of the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict, there must be a pathway back to negotiations and
a resumption of efforts to reach a permanent-status agreement based on
the U.N. Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 and subsequent
understandings. Toward this end, the leaders have agreed that the
United States would consult with the parties within the next two weeks
about how to move forward.
We have made important commitments here today against the
backdrop of tragedy and crisis. We should have no illusions about the
difficulties ahead. If we are going to rebuild confidence and trust,
we must all do our part, avoiding recrimination and moving forward.
I'm counting on each of us to do everything we possibly can in the
critical period ahead.
I'm sure it will be a disappointment to some of you, but one of
the things that all the leaders agreed was that our statement should
stand on its own, and we should begin by promoting reconciliation and
avoiding conflict by forgoing questions today.
Thank you very much.
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END
Mahdi Elmandjra