\"It is untenable for Israeli citizens to live in terror,\" President Bush told the world last night, \"[and] it is untenable for Palestinians to live in squalor and occupation. And the current situation offers no prospect that life will improve… Peace requires a new and different Palestinian leadership so that a Palestinian state can be born. I call on the Palestinian people to elect new leaders - leaders not compromised by terror. I call upon them to build a practicing democracy based on tolerance and liberty…\"
Mr. Bush said that the international community \"will help the Palestinians organize and monitor fair multi-party local elections by the end of the year, with national elections to follow… Today the PA is encouraging, not opposing, terrorism. This is unacceptable. And the US will not support the establishment of a Palestinian state until its leaders engage in a sustained fight against terrorism and dismantle its infrastructure… If Palestinians embrace democracy, confront corruption, and firmly reject terror, they can count on American support for the creation of a provisional state of Palestine… Israel also has a large stake in the success of a democratic Palestine. Permanent occupation threatens Israel\'s identity and democracy… As we make progress towards security, Israel forces need to withdraw fully to positions they held prior to September 28th, 2000…\" Bush also mentioned the rampant corruption and the need for a justice system in the PA.
Although Bush said he plans to have Secretary of State Powell work closely with the parties in the Middle East, he did not specify when or if he would send him to the region. A State Department official says that Bush will wait to hear reactions on his speech before making a final decision on Powell\'s trip and on a regional summit.
Many Israeli officials welcomed Bush\'s speech. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that Israel has long demanded the same two conditions mentioned by Bush as prerequisites to progress on the path to peace: reforms in the PA, and an end to violence and terrorism against Israel. Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said the speech was \"a historic milestone, one which outlines a security, political and economic horizon for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict... If we find an honest, peace-seeking, terror-free interlocutor on the other side, one who is amenable to historic compromise, I would support very significant compromises for peace.\"
Left-wing MKs criticized the speech for what they called its \"lack of specifics.\" Opposition leader Yossi Sarid said that the speech is \"appropriate for the comforts of Washington, but has nothing to do with the reality of Ramallah and Jerusalem where blood is spilled on a daily basis.\" MK Effie Oshaya (Labor) told Arutz-7 this morning that to wait for the PA to carry out reforms simply means that the bloodbath will continue: \"We can\'t afford to sit and do nothing... We can\'t choose our neighbors\' leaders.\"
Interior Minister Eli Yeshai (Shas) praised the speech, and said that the Israeli left supports the Americans only when they have criticism for Israel: \"After two years of a bloodbath, the Americans have finally understood that Arafat himself represents the biggest obstacle to a peace agreement.\"
Mr. Bush said that the international community \"will help the Palestinians organize and monitor fair multi-party local elections by the end of the year, with national elections to follow… Today the PA is encouraging, not opposing, terrorism. This is unacceptable. And the US will not support the establishment of a Palestinian state until its leaders engage in a sustained fight against terrorism and dismantle its infrastructure… If Palestinians embrace democracy, confront corruption, and firmly reject terror, they can count on American support for the creation of a provisional state of Palestine… Israel also has a large stake in the success of a democratic Palestine. Permanent occupation threatens Israel\'s identity and democracy… As we make progress towards security, Israel forces need to withdraw fully to positions they held prior to September 28th, 2000…\" Bush also mentioned the rampant corruption and the need for a justice system in the PA.
Although Bush said he plans to have Secretary of State Powell work closely with the parties in the Middle East, he did not specify when or if he would send him to the region. A State Department official says that Bush will wait to hear reactions on his speech before making a final decision on Powell\'s trip and on a regional summit.
Many Israeli officials welcomed Bush\'s speech. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that Israel has long demanded the same two conditions mentioned by Bush as prerequisites to progress on the path to peace: reforms in the PA, and an end to violence and terrorism against Israel. Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said the speech was \"a historic milestone, one which outlines a security, political and economic horizon for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict... If we find an honest, peace-seeking, terror-free interlocutor on the other side, one who is amenable to historic compromise, I would support very significant compromises for peace.\"
Left-wing MKs criticized the speech for what they called its \"lack of specifics.\" Opposition leader Yossi Sarid said that the speech is \"appropriate for the comforts of Washington, but has nothing to do with the reality of Ramallah and Jerusalem where blood is spilled on a daily basis.\" MK Effie Oshaya (Labor) told Arutz-7 this morning that to wait for the PA to carry out reforms simply means that the bloodbath will continue: \"We can\'t afford to sit and do nothing... We can\'t choose our neighbors\' leaders.\"
Interior Minister Eli Yeshai (Shas) praised the speech, and said that the Israeli left supports the Americans only when they have criticism for Israel: \"After two years of a bloodbath, the Americans have finally understood that Arafat himself represents the biggest obstacle to a peace agreement.\"