30 June 2003
Bush "Encouraged" by Israeli, Palestinian Efforts for Peace
(White House Report, June 30: Middle East, Katharine Hepburn) (690)
President Bush "is encouraged by the work that the Israelis are doing
together with the Palestinian Authority leaders to promote the vision
of peace, to make progress toward peace," White House Press Secretary
Ari Fleischer told reporters the morning of June 30 on Air Force One
as Bush flew to Florida from Texas.
Bush "has worked very hard to create a new atmosphere in the Middle
East, an atmosphere that's marked by hope, instead of despair; and an
atmosphere in which the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian
Authority have a vision of peace," Fleischer said.
He noted that Bush had just received a phone call from National
Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice who briefed him on her visit to the
Middle East over the weekend that included talks with Israeli and
Palestinian leaders on how to move forward.
Bush "urges all parties to continue their efforts -- this is to the
Israelis, the Palestinian Authority and the Arab nations -- to making
progress on the way forward to a two state solution to the violence in
the Middle East," Fleischer said.
Bush is focused on "diminishing the violence, and the best way to
diminish violence is to dismantle terrorism," said Fleischer. "The
terrorists are the greatest threat that the Palestinian people have to
receiving a state. The terrorists are not just a threat to the Israeli
people, they are a threat to the millions of Palestinian people who
want an era of peace to take root and who want and deserve a state
that's led by a legitimate government."
Asked what happens next now that a three-month cease-fire has been
agreed to by three major Palestinian militant groups -- Hamas, Islamic
Jihad and Fatah -- and Israel has pulled its forces from areas in
northern Gaza, Fleischer responded:
"What happens next is that Israel has obligations to help improve the
human conditions, the economic conditions of the Palestinian people by
making life easier at the checkpoints, by giving the Palestinian
people access to jobs that they've held in Israel proper," and "by
continuing, as Israel has done, with the release of funds that belong
to the Palestinian people. Israel has done that. They have additional
obligations to take," he said.
"For the Palestinian Authority, this is a real test now of their
ability to bring perpetrators of terror to justice. They need to do
so. That is paramount. Security is paramount. The Palestinian
Authority has an obligation to fight corruption, thereby creating
confidence within the Palestinian people, within the United States,
and within the international community that funds received by the
Palestinian Authority actually go to the betterment of the Palestinian
people and not to the pockets of Palestinian leaders."
The United States, Fleischer said, will continue to be actively
involved to help the Israelis and the Palestinians work together.
"Also America's next step remains to work closely with the Arab
leaders in the region who are playing a helpful role here," he said.
Asked about reported incidents of violence since the cease-fire began,
Fleischer responded:
"Of course, the president is aware of it and there will be elements
who will try to prevent peace. In the president's judgment, what's
important is for the Palestinian Authority to bring to justice
perpetrators of terrorism and to take action to prevent violence in
the future. And it remains the president's very strong position that
it's important to dismantle terrorism."
"We're, literally, mere hours into this. That's the president's
position, just what I said," Fleischer repeated.
BUSH REMEMBERS KATHARINE HEPBURN
President Bush, in a statement June 29, praised the accomplishments of
noted U.S. actress Katharine Hepburn, who died earlier that day at the
age of 96.
Following is his statement:
"Katharine Hepburn delighted audiences with her unique talent for more
than six decades. She was known for her intelligence and wit and will
be remembered as one of the Nation's artistic treasures. Laura joins
me in sending our thoughts and prayers to her family."
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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