THE WHITE HOUSE




                     Office of the Press Secretary




________________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release                                   October 28, 1994




				    

     PRESS CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENT CLINTON AND PRIME MINISTER RABIN

				    

			   Convention Center

			   Jerusalem, Israel




			    October 27, 1994






	PRIME MINISTER RABIN:   Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, I

believe that we experienced during the visit of President Clinton in the

region a real move towards peace.  No doubt that the visit of President

Clinton was crowned yesterday by the second peace treaty between an Arab

country and Israel, the first one after the convening of the Madrid

Peace Conference.




	We look, from Israel's point of view, to President Clinton as a

friend of Israel and a president that works very hard to bring about

what we dream for, aspire to -- to achieve comprehensive peace; that is

to say, peace with our four neighboring Arab countries.  With two, it

has been accomplished.  And no doubt, the visit of the President in

Damascus, I believe it will bring about certain changes, a movement

toward better negotiations, better possibilities to overcome the gaps

between the positions of Israel and Syria.




	No doubt in my mind that during the term of you, Mr. President,

as the President of the United States, we have seen dramatic change in

the relations between those Arab partners with whom we negotiate.  We

signed the Declaration of Principles between us and the PLO on the lawns

of the White House.  It was followed by the negotiations to bring about

the first phase of its implementation in the Gaza-Jericho first.




	We are engaged today in continuation of our negotiations with

the Palestinians about Arab empowerment, elections, and no doubt,

yesterday we signed a peace treaty that the President helped to bring

about and witnessed.




	For two years, to reach two agreements -- one, with the

Palestinians with which we have a long story of suspicion, hatred,

prejudice, bloodshed; and with the Jordanians, that I remember over 46

years ago that in this city I fought them and they fought me -- and we

look forward to make it possible to overcome yet the differences between

Syria and Lebanon and us.




	It might take time.  One has to be patient.  One has to

understand that there are problems.  And I believe that it will not take

long, and hopefully, we'll find ways and means by which to overcome

these gaps.




	I hope, Mr. President, that you will continue sending Secretary

Christopher, who worked very hard and tried in your name to move between

Damascus and Jerusalem with the purpose to find ways to overcome the

differences.




	Allow me also to add that the government of Israel of today is

determined, on one hand, to continue all our efforts to bring about

comprehensive peace.  But at the same time, we are fully aware that

there are enemies of peace.  For us, the enemies of peace are the

extreme Islamic radical terror movements.  Among the Palestinians, they

are the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.  Ninety percent of the terror

activities against us are carried by them.




	And there is a tendency for oversimplification, to identify

those parts of the Palestinians with whom we reach an agreement and we

try to implement it, and extreme radical Islamic elements that are

enemies of peace and enemies of the Palestinians that reach agreement

with us.  From Lebanon, Hezbollah, which is part of the ugly wave of

Khomeinism without Khomeini that is all over the Arab world and the

Islamic world.  Whatever happens in Algeria is not related whatsoever to

the Arab-Israeli conflict, or is Sudan, or in fighting within Egypt.

It's an ugly wave that threatens not only the peace -- they are the

infrastructure of the international terrorism.  And behind it, to a

certain extent to certain parties, larger extent, is Iran.




	And therefore, Mr. President, we support your policy of dual

containment.  We believe it's vital to the peace in the Middle East, to

stability among the Arab and the Muslim world, and to prevent

international terrorism.




	We thank you very much.  You heard today in our Knesset the

government and opposition together joined in the support of the peace

treaty with Jordan, in expressing thanks to you, Mr. President, for the

way that you have stood and stand in support of Israel's security while

trying your best to bring about advancement, which was successful so far

in bringing about peace to the region.




	Therefore, today, here in Jerusalem -- the united city, the

capital of Israel, and no doubt, the heart of the Jewish people -- we

thank you.  Thank you very much.






	PRESIDENT CLINTON:  Thank you, Prime Minister.




	Ladies and gentlemen, because I had the opportunity to speak at

length at the Knesset this evening and to outline my position on a

number of matters, I will be very brief.  I would like to make just a

couple of points.




	First of all, at my first meeting with Prime Minister Rabin

shortly after I became President, he told me he was prepared to take

risks for peace.  And I told him that, that being the case, the job of

the United States was to minimize those risks.  For 20 months now, we

have both done our best to do our jobs, and I think it's fair to say

that we have had a reasonable amount of success in which the people of

Israel can be proud and in which they can feel secure, and one in which

I hope the American people take pride.




	Secondly, I would like to congratulate him and the people of

Israel again on the peace treaty with Jordan.  We have responsibilities

there that relate to the security of both Israel and Jordan, and I have

been working on that even since the peace treaty has been signed.  I was

in conversations with the King well past midnight last night.  We are

attempting to do our part to make sure this peace is as wildly

successful as everyone believes it can be.




	Thirdly, I thank the Prime Minister for his comments about

terrorism and his support for our policies, especially I think I should

mention something I did not mention in my speech tonight which is that

of the steadfast support of Israel for our policies in the Gulf and for

our recent action in the Gulf.  I will be going to Kuwait tomorrow to

see our troops and on to Saudi Arabia.  I appreciate the support of

Israel.




	Finally, with regard to what the Prime Minister said about Syria

and my trip there today, I went there because I was convinced we needed

to add new energy to the talks.  And I come away from Syria convinced

that we have -- that some significant progress has been at least made

possible, and that there has been some change in positions that offer

the hope of more progress.  And I have instructed the Secretary of State

to return to the region within a few weeks to continue.  Meanwhile,

other discussions continue at other levels.  And I am confident that we

can be successful by simply pushing ahead.




	So on all these fronts, I feel better tonight than I did when I

came here.  And again, I thank the Prime Minister for this welcome and

for the opportunity to address the Knesset.




	Q Mr. President and Prime Minister Rabin, you are talking about

significant developments coming from Damascus.  From what we heard

publicly until now, your visit to Damascus seems a disappointment for

the Israelis.  I mean, you gave the Syrians maybe one of the biggest

gestures America has -- a presidential visit of the President of the

United States.  And President Assad responded publicly in his general

words of peace which we heard in the past.  So what else is new, Mr.

President?  And Mr. Rabin, what did you hear maybe privately from the

President about this visit?

	




	PRESIDENT CLINTON:  Well, I would like to make three points, if

I might.  First of all, I don't think it's accurate to say that he had

ever said to me and to the rest of the world and to the people of Israel

that he wanted to make peace with Israel and wanted to have normal,

peaceful, constructive relations with Israel.




	Secondly, he made some statements in our private conversations

about the details of this process which I would be wrong to discuss

because the essence of these negotiations is that they can proceed in

some confidence.  But they did show some forward movement in ways that I

believe are not insignificant.




	Thirdly, there's one thing I do regret about the press

conference today.  I regret that President Assad did not take the

opportunity to say in public what he said to me in private about his

deep regret about the loss of innocent lives, and particularly, the bus

bombing.  He said to me, "You know, we have to end the killing of

innocents wherever it occurs, whether it was on the bus or in Hebron.  I

deplore it all."  And I am convinced that only by making peace can we

end it.  And when we do make peace, it will end.  That is what he said

to me.




	I think the way the question was posed to him, I think, led him

to give an answer which may have been somewhat misleading -- not

intentionally, but because he did not say that.  I also want to reaffirm

that there was absolutely no discussion in our private meeting, as he

said, about the question of the United States removing Syria from the

terrorist list.  He did not ask for that; he did not bring it up.  And I

certainly did not bring it up.  There has been no mixing of those two

issues.




	So I think that his statement did break some new ground.  I know

that his private conversations broke some new ground.  And I was

particularly encouraged by what he said in private to me about the

killing of innocent people.  I regret that that was not said in public,

but I can tell you that it was said in private.  And what I said in the

press conference is now, as I understand it, even being rebroadcast on a

regular basis in Syria tonight to reaffirm that that is, in fact, what

happened.

	




	PRIME MINISTER RABIN:  I am accustomed to the prolonged and

sometimes difficult period of negotiations.  If one would have told us

two years ago that we'd make a strategic understanding with Chairman

Arafat and the PLO, people would not believe.




	In the process towards peace, we have to overcome on both sides

certain perceptions; certain, sometimes, prejudices -- one about

another.  Therefore, I believe that all the partners to the Madrid Peace

Conference -- and by now remain the Palestinians with which we reached

and agreement in principles -- Syria and Lebanon would like to have

peace.




	I don't know any one of the partners who don't want to have

peace.  The only question is, what is the meaning of peace?  What is the

price of peace?  It takes time to overcome differences.  And whatever I

had, this first: that Syria strategically decided for peace.  Second,

they are ready to continue the negotiations not in the best way to my

opinion, but as long as there is any avenue of negotiations, we should

follow it.  Thirdly, I don't believe it will be right on the part of

Israel, regardless what was said or didn't say on the press conference

today in Damascus, which I would like that he would say different

things, but it doesn't discourage me to continue our negotiations.




	And this is the essence of the peacemaking process -- be

patient, to be determined, and not to be misled by ups and downs of

public statements.  Therefore, we will continue the way that it will be

possible in negotiations with Syria.  I am aware that there are gaps

between our positions.  But I can't recall any negotiations in the past

that there were no gaps.  And whenever we succeeded to reach an

agreement came about as a result of the capability to make the

compromise that breached the gap.




	Q:  Mr. Prime Minister, if you'll forgive us, we're going to

keep pressing still.  The President is speaking of change in positions;

you're speaking in change of perception.  We have the issues tattoed on

our forehead.  The issues have been here for three years.  We know there

are major gaps.  Are you talking about new atmospherics three years

after Madrid, or have you been told something about Syria's position on

Golan, on security, on the terms of peace?  Have you heard sufficiently

for you to reverse your election stand and surrender the Golan Heights?




	




	PRIME MINISTER RABIN:  Well, first, I believe that whoever sees

what has taken place in the last over three years, he cannot ignore the

tremendous change as a result of the Declaration of Principles between

the PLO and us; the signing of the peace treaty; the openness in the

Arab world that a foreign minister of Israel can fly to Bahrain; that

multilateral negotiations can be taking place in Amman and Qatar and who

knows where else; that the decision of the six members of the Gulf

Community Council about ignoring, not considering the Arab boycott.

There is a trend, a move that no doubt will have its implications in

other Arab countries -- I hope in the short run, or in the long run --

even on the issues that have not yet been solved between Syria and

Israel.




	I believe that the mere fact that there is a continuation of

negotiations with all the partners, it creates new realities in the

region.  From Moroc tomorrow our mission headed by the Foreign Minister

will go to the Casablanca meeting.  When did you expect that such a

meeting would take place in an Arab country?  We have to see beyond

technical or certain important issues between us and one of our

partners, the changes that have taken place in the whole region; in the

attitude -- a change of attitude.  This is what realities speak about.




	And therefore, don't ask me today about details of this part or

that part of the negotiations.  The fact that we are moving

Palestinians, yesterday Jordan; openness in the Arab world; different

kinds of relations -- Maroc, Tunisia, and I believe there will be other

Arab countries.




	This is the importance.  You don't have to look at the limited

point of view.  You have to look at the other changes in the region,

other changes in the attitude of so many Arab countries towards

relations to Israel, or not -- this is the issue.




	And it will continue.  And we will continue regardless to the

terrible atrocities of the Islamic radical terror groups against us.  I

believe you will see more changes and more in the right direction.




	Q:  Mr. President, the restoration of Israel's exact fulfillment

of over 300 Bible prophecies proves the Bible is God's true word.

Genesis 17:8 says God gave Israel "all the land of Canaan for an

everlasting possession."  And Leviticus 25:23 forbids her to ever sell

it.  How can it produce real peace to induce Israel to defy God by

selling Judea and Samaria for Arafat's or Assad's paper promises of

peace?




	PRIME MINISTER:  You ask the President of the United States the

question?  He is not representing Israel, to the best of my knowledge.




	PRESIDENT CLINTON:  That was the answer I was going to give.

(Laughter.)




	The people of Israel, through their elected leaders, will decide

what they are required to do for their own existence, their own

security, their own future, and for their patience and peace with God.




	Q:  Mr. Prime Minister, in the agreements you signed with some

of your Arab nation neighbors, the issue of Jerusalem remained

unresolved -- the whole status of East Jerusalem.  And that's also true

at the U.N.  and in most of the world, it's unresolved.  Why did you

assert such absolute control?  Were you trying to put President Clinton

on the spot tonight?




	




	PRESIDENT CLINTON:  You mean in his speech to the Knesset?




	Q:  Yes.




	PRIME MINISTER RABIN:  First, we are independent states.  And we

have our positions and the United States has got its positions.  I can

speak only on the Israeli position.  We believe that Jerusalem must

remain united under Israel's sovereignty.  But we did not reject that

the Palestinians, once we negotiate permanent solution, will raise the

issue.  We know their position; they know ours.




	I believe that in the long run, the Jerusalem problem should be

solved on two levels -- the political one -- that is to say, what will

be the sovereignty over the united Jerusalem, which we have no doubt

that it must be Israeli sovereignty; and the question of the holiness of

Jerusalem to the other two religions.  And you'll see a sign in the

Washington Declaration, in the peace treaty that we signed between

Jordan and Israel, that we distinguished between the holy shrines to the

Muslims that in the last 27 years we allowed free access, free practice.




	But even beyond that, the administration of the holy shrines to

the Muslim -- is done by the respective churches.  We don't intervene.

In that way that they run something within the holy shrines that derived

from their own religion as long as it doesn't affect the security of the

area.  It works for 27 years.  And I believe we have in the Hebrew an

expression "Jerusalem dele maala, Jerusalem shell matta" -- "Jerusalem

in the heavens, and Jerusalem on the ground."




	I believe this is the key to the real solution in the long run

of Jerusalem.  But we are committed if they want to raise this issue.

We know our position when we negotiate the permanent status between us

and the Palestinians.  We negotiate the solution to the refugee

problems, a much wider scope, not only with one partner, on a regional

basis.  Therefore, from my point it's very clear.




	Q:  Mr. Prime Minister, I should like to take this opportunity

to ask you a question in Hebrew.  President Clinton and the Secretary of

State have spoken about progress in Damascus.  Following your meeting

with President Clinton, do you share their estimation that, indeed,

there is progress towards peace?  And, if so, in what areas?




	PRIME MINISTER RABIN:  To begin with, I heard from President

Clinton about his meeting with President Assad.  His impression, whereby

on certain subjects there has been some progress, is relevant.  We must

bear in mind that we are now negotiating with the Syrians.  In fact,

this has been going on for three years; ever since the Madrid

Convention.  And we are advancing in tiny steps, inch by inch.




	In the talks between us we reached an agreement whereby

Secretary of State Christopher, in a period of three or four weeks,

would examine the progress being made in order to implement, or to put

into practice what we hope will be done.  In other words, we are

interested in reaching peace with Syria.  We do want a peace treaty with

Syria.  In principle, we have agreed to a withdrawal.  There is no

agreement between us and Syria as to the final borders of peace, and

there are other areas which have not yet been resolved.




	President Clinton did not tell me that there was a historic

breakthrough.  He said that there was some progress on certain areas.

Therefore, we must pursue these efforts.  We must continue along the

road on which the negotiations have been taking place so far.  In other

words, Secretary of State Christopher will continue shuffling between

Damascus and Jerusalem.  And indeed, we have agreed that this will be

taking place within three or four weeks from today, if I'm not mistaken.




	Q:  -- have another day yet before the trip is over and I know

I'm getting you while you're somewhat tired.  But even so, I'd like to

ask you if you could to reflect a little bit, since this is the last

press conference before you go home.  If you could tell us a little bit

about what have you learned on the trip the last couple of days.  What

will you take home with you that's different from what you came here

with?  And what do you feel has changed for yourself from the

experiences that you've had in the last however many hours it's been?




	MR. PRESIDENT:  Well, this has been my first opportunity to see

first-hand the potential for a new Middle East, the real potential for

peace and the yearning that I see everywhere.




	In Damascus today, when I was riding along the road, and people

would stop their working, and children would crowd around their

buildings; their play-yards, and wave a greeting, they did it because

they see the United States as the instrument of peace to bring these two

nations together, or at least to make it possible for them to come

together.  These are all things that you know, but until you see it,

it's a very different thing, indeed.




	I also come away from this trip profoundly grateful to the

leaders of Israel and Jordan for setting an example that I think will

give confidence and conscience to the efforts that others will make now

to resolve the problems in the Middle East.




	I also came away, frankly, with a much clearer idea of what

things the United States can do and, indeed, what we must try to do to

help make peace successful from a security point of view and from an

economic point of view.




	So all these things I leave with.  But the most important thing

is the deep yearning for this to work.  I saw it in the energy in the

Knesset tonight.  We saw it in the energy and the passion in the

Jordanian Parliament last night.  And I have seen it on the streets of

every place I have been in the eyes of the people.  I think we are on

the right historic mission and we need to redouble our efforts until we

finish.

	




	PRIME MINISTER RABIN:  May I, Mr. President?  In the last 15

years, the President of the United States did help and attended signing

of the peace treaty between an Arab country and Israel.




	




	THE PRESS:  Thank you.




	

END 11:16 p.m. (L)