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Letter from President Clinton to Prime Minister Rabin

(December 2, 1993)

Secretary of State Warren Christopher paid a visit to a number of Middle Eastern capitals in early December. The main result of his trip was to organize a meeting between Presidents Clinton and Assad to be held in Geneva on 16 January 1994. Secretary Christopher brought with him a letter from President Clinton to Prime Minister Rabin in which Mr. Clinton wrote that he was committed to work with Congress to maintain current levels of economic and military aid to Israel. This was of much value in view of growing opposition in the U.S. to foreign aid. Text:

THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DECEMBER 2, 1993

Dear Yitzhak:

I want to take the opportunity of Secretary Christopher's visit to express my deep satisfaction with the talks we held at the White House.

You have my sincere admiration and respect for the courage and leadership you continue to demonstrate in the cause of peace. I want you to know that I understand the challenges you and the people of Israel face as you move forward. The recent violence and tragic deaths reinforce the need to continue progress towards a truly comprehensive and lasting peace in the region. We cannot allow the enemies of peace to thwart this noble effort to achieve lasting security for the people of Israel.

Yitzhak, I know such a peace entails great uncertainties. I promised you when we first met that as Israel took risks for peace, the United States would be there to minimize those risks. During your last visit, I reiterated my commitment to maintain and enhance Israel's security and qualitative edge.

I am pleased to inform you of the concrete steps we are now taking to signal our support at this critical point in the peace process.

I am committed to work with Congress to maintain current levels of economic and security assistance to Israel;

In addition to these measures, I can assure you that we will continue to work closely with your government regarding the other security issues which were discussed during your Washington visit.

I look forward to hearing the results of your conversations with Chris. With warmest regards and best wishes,

Sincerely, Bill Clinton


Source: Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs