Speech to the People of Israel
(March 5, 1996)
Good evening, and thank you, Ms. Dayan, for inviting
me to speak to the people of Israel at this very difficult moment.
Over the last week the world has watched in horror
as scores of innocent Israeli citizens have been murdered by suicide
bombers. On behalf of the American people, I want to express my deepest
sorrow and strongest outrage to the people of Israel and especially
to the families and friends of the victims. As I have told Prime Minister
Peres, I share your determination to do everything possible to bring
this horror to an end and to bring those responsible to justice.
These fanatical acts are aimed not just at killing
innocent people but at killing the growing hope for peace in the Middle
East. Those responsible for these vicious crimes thrive on division
and conflict. They know a new day is dawning in their region. They know
the vast majority of Israelis and Palestinians have chosen the path
of peace. With every new step that is taken along that path, the enemies
of peace grow more desperate. We must not allow their hatred to turn
us back to the past. We must counter their senseless violence with resolve
and action.
Those who committed the recent bombings brutally attacked
Israelis. But make no mistake: The future they darken is their own.
Instead of a life of security and prosperity, all they have to offer
is violence, poverty, and despair. Chairman Arafat knows that his leadership
and the hopes of the Palestinian people are under direct challenge.
He must do everything possible to end this campaign of terror.
I have pledged to Prime Minister Peres that the United
States will work with Israel and with our friends in the Middle East
to stop the killing, to bring the criminals to justice, to permit the
process of peacemaking to continue. Today, I announced a series of measures
to support these critical goals. These include the immediate emergency
transfer to Israel of sophisticated equipment for detecting explosives;
the dispatch of American specialists to work with their Israeli colleagues
on strengthening antiterrorism measures; the development of a comprehensive
package of training, technical assistance, and equipment to improve
antiterrorism cooperation among Israel, Palestinians, and regional governments;
and urging our friends and allies all around the world to step up their
own struggle for peace.
The United States has stood with you, the people of
Israel, in times of triumph and tragedy. We stand with you today. Our
nations both cherish the same ideals: freedom, tolerance, and democracy.
And we know that whenever these ideals are under siege in one country
they are threatened everywhere.
We have never been more determined to defend these
ideals and to achieve our goal of a just and lasting peace in the Middle
East. The road ahead will not be easy, but think how far you have come.
Now is the time to redouble our efforts. Now is the time to be strong.
Bullets and bombs must not prevail against the will for peace. And they
will not.
Sources: Public Papers of the President |