Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, currently visiting in Israel, paid his respects at the gravesite of Yitzchak Rabin this morning. Ben Gurion University President Itamar Rabinovitch, who was Israel\'s ambassador in the U.S. during the Clinton years, awarded him an honorary doctorate last night in recognition of the \"widespread and deep friendship for Israel within [his] Administration\" and for his \"contribution to peace in the Middle East.\"
Speaking at the ceremony, Clinton said that Arafat had missed a \"golden opportunity\" in Camp David in the summer of 2000. \"The problem is,\" he said, \"that there are some people who appear to be happy with the terrorism and destruction. I know that young Palestinians are proud to die. No one was courageous enough to tell them that they would better serve their nation by coming to a realistic compromise… I think the Palestinians have to move against their terrorist organizations... We all want a thriving Palestinian state - but they must keep their part of the Oslo Agreement, namely, peace for generations and no terrorism.\" Clinton lunched this afternoon with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, whose Likud party resolved last week not to accept any form of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River.
Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert, on his way to a meeting with Clinton early this afternoon, was asked by Arutz-7\'s Haggai Segal, \"You realize that if Clinton had remained in office for another term, Jerusalem might well have been divided by now…\" Olmert answered, \"No, that is precisely why we worked hard to make sure that Barak would not be re-elected…\"
Speaking at the ceremony, Clinton said that Arafat had missed a \"golden opportunity\" in Camp David in the summer of 2000. \"The problem is,\" he said, \"that there are some people who appear to be happy with the terrorism and destruction. I know that young Palestinians are proud to die. No one was courageous enough to tell them that they would better serve their nation by coming to a realistic compromise… I think the Palestinians have to move against their terrorist organizations... We all want a thriving Palestinian state - but they must keep their part of the Oslo Agreement, namely, peace for generations and no terrorism.\" Clinton lunched this afternoon with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, whose Likud party resolved last week not to accept any form of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River.
Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert, on his way to a meeting with Clinton early this afternoon, was asked by Arutz-7\'s Haggai Segal, \"You realize that if Clinton had remained in office for another term, Jerusalem might well have been divided by now…\" Olmert answered, \"No, that is precisely why we worked hard to make sure that Barak would not be re-elected…\"