Remarks With Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni

[pkpatriotic]

Remarks With Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni
Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Tel Aviv, Israel
November 6, 2008
FOREIGN MINISTER LIVNI: Hello. I would like to welcome my friend and colleague, Secretary Rice, in the region once again. You come at a time when the election process in the United States has ended, while here it is just beginning.

Let me first express my personal admiration and congratulations for the wonderful example of a democratic process that the elections in the United States represent. This is a source of inspiration to millions around the world. I would of course like to congratulate President-elect Barack Obama on his historic victory, a man who has impressed Israelis during his visits here and throughout the campaign by what he represents. I would like also to express our appreciation to Senator John McCain for his leadership and his longstanding friendship, which we never take for granted.

Israel and the United States have a unique strategic relationship which enjoys bipartisan support and is based on common interest, but more importantly on shared values. We look forward to working with the new U.S. administration when it comes into office in order to enhance the unique and unshakable U.S.-Israel partnership, a partnership which has truly been strengthened in the last eight years under the leadership and vision of President Bush, which is based on deep and uncompromising values. His contribution will never be forgotten.

Secretary Rice and I will discuss today regional issues, including Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian track. We remain committed to the Annapolis process and to the solution of two states for two peoples. I know that there are doubts about this process. I think we need to remember that Annapolis came after seven years of intifada and terror, and after Hamas took control in Gaza. It created, after years, a framework of continuing dialogue and developing basis – and developed basic trust between the parties. It is important that we preserve the process within the structure that we have created. We are realistic enough to recognize the reality we face, but we are also determined enough to change it.

I believe deeply that stagnation is not in Israel’s interest, and it cannot be our policy. The Israeli people do not need slogans; they need solutions. And any solution must provide an answer to Israel’s interest: first and foremost, security and Annapolis and the process, preserve it.

We are committed to negotiations with the Palestinians not as a favor to anyone, but in order to ensure a peaceful and secure future for Israel and for the Israelis. We also expect the continued process to be made on the ground to ensure that we have a peaceful and responsible neighbor, rather than a terror state or a failed state on our borders.

The comprehensive approach of the Annapolis process, which combines negotiations with steps on the ground and a firm stand against extremism, has made the recent progress we have seen on the ground possible; to take one example, such – a place such as Jenin that was once the capitol of terror and is now a source of hope.

Finally, I want to make clear that we can never compromise on confronting terrorism and extremism, whether it be from Iran, Hamas, or Hezbollah, so that we guarantee that the moderates and not the extremists of this region dictate the agenda.

I am looking forward to the opportunity next week to brief the Quartet together with our Palestinian partners. While the negotiations themselves are bilateral and confidential, the unique quartet meeting will be an opportunity for the parties to express their commitment to negotiations and the Annapolis process, to share their assessments of the serious of this talk and the challenges ahead, and to maintain and enhance international support for the process in accordance with the guiding principles that the parties themselves have agreed between them.
Thank you.

SECRETARY RICE: Well, thank you very much, Tzipi, for welcoming here to the region. Let me welcome you also to the residence of our Ambassador here. I look forward to our discussions, but I first want to thank you for the very kind and moving words that you’ve just expressed about the American elections, because this is something that Americans feel very deeply.

I think that what we saw yesterday -- or is it the day before now – on Tuesday, November 4th is evidence that democracy is not something that is born and then you’re done with it. It is something that you have to continue to work, you have to continue to perfect. You build it brick-by-brick, day-by-day, but it is a process in which human dignity can overcome old wounds and old differences. And particularly as an African American, as I’ve said, it was an historic day, but it shows why democracy, a value that Israel and the United States share, is really only the answer – the only answer for human beings worldwide. And I know that that is something that we deeply believe, the two of us.

We will have a discussion of the negotiations between you and the Palestinians, as well as regional issues. I just want to note that the Annapolis conference launched the first serious negotiating between Israel and the Palestinians in nearly a decade. Over the last year, the parties have really bravely demonstrated their commitment to substantive negotiations in an effort to reach a comprehensive peace covering all of the core issues. I want to thank you for your leadership as the chief negotiator for Israel and as Foreign Minister, and to assure you that the United States will continue to support and facilitate the efforts of the parties to reach a lasting peace.

We have a national interest – the United States has a national interest in sustaining that progress. We believe that it is essential for the security of Israel, to which the United States is deeply committed.

President Bush’s vision of a Palestinian state at peace with Israel doesn't come and will not come in a single, dramatic moment, but as the result of methodical, sustained, sincere initiative to conclude a final agreement that benefits both Israelis and Palestinians. And such an initiative is now underway with the Annapolis process, and it should be carried forward.

It is critical that we continue to advance the pillars established at the Annapolis conference, and those pillars were bilateral negotiations, improvements in the situation on the ground, and institution building for the future Palestinian state, as well as marshaling international and especially regional support for the process.

We will have an unprecedented meeting of the Quartet in a few days to hear directly from Israeli and Palestinian participants in the negotiations. The Quartet expects to hear about the parties’ commitment to the Annapolis process, their views on the progress that has been made on the key pillars, and their desire for international support in continuing their efforts.

We expect that the parties will reaffirm their commitment to a two-state solution, to negotiations toward that goal, and to a process that builds on the important progress that has been achieved in previous agreements and understandings.

Let me just close by saying that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one that should be resolved and should be ended because it will be so important to Palestinians to live in their own state and for Israel to live alongside a democratic neighbor who can help to secure the peace.

The United States is fully committed to that goal, and I remain committed to that goal until the day that we leave office. But I want to say that I am very grateful that in the last almost eight years now we have been able to move a situation which, at the time when President Bush came to office, was the second intifada, with hundreds of Israelis under siege, with Palestinians dying in large numbers, a situation in which the thought of peace between Israelis and Palestinians was one that was quite distant with the undeniably important, but ultimately unsuccessful, attempt to reach peace at Camp David.

President Bush has been devoted since then to bringing about a two-state solution on the right basis, through strong support for Israel’s security, for a belief that no Palestinian state could ever be born of terror, for a belief that democratic institutions would be important to the future of the Palestinian people, as they would be important to the future of the Israeli people, and a belief that the Arab neighbors would need to come to terms, finally, with Israel’s permanent existence in this neighborhood, and with an international community that would support efforts by the parties themselves to finally resolve their conflict. And I believe that those principles remain the basis and the foundation on which this conflict will finally end.

Thank you very much.

FOREIGN MINISTER LIVNI: Thank you.

MODERATOR: (Inaudible) got time (inaudible).

SECRETARY RICE: (Inaudible) questions. Yeah.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, do you think that your service as Secretary of State, one of the highest jobs in the United States, as Secretary Powell’s job, was one of the elements that led to a change of hearts in the American people and led to the election of Barak Obama as the first African American president? And what you will recommend him to do? You know that he is for engagement. Will you recommend him to engage on the Syrian track or to neglect it totally, ignore it, as you did?

And if I can ask a question for our Foreign Minister, Foreign Minister Livni, what you will recommend Madame Secretary to do until the practical change of governments, and what do you think –

FOREIGN MINISTER LIVNI: (Inaudible) advice. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: What do you think in that regard about the idea of American interests section in Iran?

SECRETARY RICE: Let me just say that I will give my advice and assessment to my successor when that person is named, and I’ll do so privately, and then I will happily return to California and comment no further on the matter.

It’s in the great American tradition that when there is an election and when a new president is installed and inaugurated, it then becomes the – that government that is responsible for American foreign policy. But there are some perennials, some constants in American foreign policy, and the friendship for Israel is a constant. It has been since Harry Truman recognized the state of Israel in 1948, and I don’t think that that’s going to change.

As to the question about the road that paved the way for President-elect Obama, he was an extraordinary candidate, he is an inspirational leader, and I think that that is the first thing to say. I do think that America has been on a long journey to overcome what I have personally called its birth defect of slavery, a birth defect that was not fully overcome, because when I was a child in Birmingham, Alabama there were still laws that kept the races separate. And it’s been a journey. It’s been a journey of the civil rights movement, of great civil rights leaders. I think of Colin Powell as the first black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which I think was a landmark for the United States. I think it was a landmark to have then the Secretary of State and National Security Advisor both be black at the same time, and then back-to-back black Secretaries of State. So I think there has been a process of overcoming this, but let’s not take anything away from the enormous leap that Tuesday, November 4th was, from whatever basis we were on November 3rd.

FOREIGN MINISTER LIVNI: Thanks. Well, it’s not for me to advise Secretary Rice, even though you said that you are going to be devoted to the process until the last day in the office. I’m sure that you are going to be devoted even later because this is something that need to be to understand. In the last eight years, in different positions of – for both of us, I discovered that in our talks that Secretary Rice really is devoted to make a change in the region, in an understanding that peace and security is not only an American interest, but this is an Israeli interest and a Palestinian interest as well. And during these years, Secretary Rice will meet with others, try to see what are the gaps, where we stand, what are the interest of the parties, what are the interest of Israel, what are the concerns of Israel, in terms of security, in terms of the fear and maybe the need to create a state that -- which is not a terror state.

So there’s a need to fight terrorism on the other side of the future borders within the Palestinian Authority. And this comes from a determination and understanding and something that I believe goes beyond the duty. And it is something that – and this is the reason why I believe that I’m sure that it’s not part of the job, but this is something that’s part of you as a person.

And this is part of the determination and this is part of our determination because of the interest of the state of Israel, not as a favor to anyone; as I said, not even to the United States of America, but because this is something that the Israelis deserve to live in peace and security. And I do believe that the continuousness of the process is crucial for us Israelis, for the Palestinians as well. And I do believe that in doing it in the right way, we can have the to support of the international community.

So the idea is to continue the process in a manner in which we decided between us before, Israelis and Palestinians, in accordance. And it was agreed also by the United States of America and others. It is bilateral. We need to continue it. We need to find the way to continue it regardless to the question of timelines or timetables or changes of administration in the United States of America. This is crucial for both sides to understand that this is what we need to address. And I’m sure that during the next few months, this is what we are going to continue to do.

And I know that Secretary Rice, as other leaders within the international community, know where Israel stands. And when Israel sent a message, and not only a message, a oral message, but something that is being done during this process, saying that a process is part of our interest, we want to continue this process as long as it preserve our own interest, especially when it comes to security. The world can support this process without pressuring Israel to do something which is against its interest. And I believe that this is a change that Israel during the last eight years, have done within the international community, because there was -- there was sometimes old perceptions and images of Israel. And I think that now, it is clear to the international community that Israel is serious, that stagnation is not our policy, and we are determined to continue the peace process as long as it preserve our needs and interest.

When it comes to other topics on the agenda, this Administration -- I was talking about President Bush and also Secretary Rice -- represent the understanding that we need to fight extremism. Iran is an example of a state that represent this kind of extreme ideology. We need to continue the pressure on Iran. And I believe that the idea of continuing the pressure comes with more intense and effective sanctions on the Iranian -- and I think that this gives an answer to your second question as well.

MR. MCCORMACK: Last questioner, Matt Lee.

QUESTION: I’m sorry. You spoke earlier about how you wanted to lay a firm foundation of solid groundwork for the next administrations, both the United States and Israel. Well, what exactly do you mean by that? Are you talking about a document that goes beyond just a simple reaffirmation of the Annapolis goals? Are you looking for something more where the parties will say exactly how far they’ve gotten and that that will be a starting point? I think the question is: What are you hoping to present to the Obama Administration as: Here’s where you can begin?

SECRETARY RICE: Look, I am not going to try to judge what the parties will want to do during this process and as it unfolds. As I understand it, they are going to – before the Quartet and I’m sure throughout the – this next several months – affirm that the Annapolis process and the framework that it establishes is indeed the basis on which they believe they can come to a resolution of their conflict regardless of timetable, regardless of anyone’s timetable. And I think what’s extremely important in this is there’s a lot of focus on the political negotiations. And that is rightly so, because one has to have an answer to the core issues in order to establish a Palestinian state. That is quite clear. And I have been impressed at the seriousness of the parties in discussing how a Palestinian state might come into being.

But it is also the case that the pillars of the creation of reliable Palestinian institutions that can deliver for the Palestinian people and can be a stabilizing factor in this region when a Palestinian State is born, that that is an extremely important pillar. And to my knowledge, this is really the first time that a peace process has tried to build from both the ground up and from the top down. And I believe that that is one of the other elements that Annapolis brings.

And there has not been very much attention to the hard work that the Palestinians, under Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, has been doing to build those institutions of the future Palestinian state. And so that’s another piece that I think has to be passed on. It is also the case that there are Roadmap obligations that the parties undertook some time ago. And the Annapolis process envisions that an agreement is really not going to be feasible unless those Roadmap obligations are met, and that’s when we talked about it being subject to Roadmap obligations. That’s another piece of this process. And finally, that there needed to be a framework of international and regional support for the parties to conclude. So I don’t want to try to prejudge how this might all be, in a sense, passed on.

But I do want to emphasize again that in 2001, when President Bush came into office, we had a raging intifada, we had Israel under siege. There were still people who talked about, well, there are freedom fighters and then there are terrorists. The President laid that aside for all time. When we came into office, I do not think that you had the breadth of opinion in Israel in support of the two-state solution. I would cite, for instance, Prime Minister Sharon’s Herzylia speech which established new ground.

And so a lot has happened to change the environment. There is a very serious negotiation going on. I know that because I’ve sat with the parties. There is other serious work going on. How we express that and turn it over to those who will have to -- in any case, even when an agreement is signed, there will be a lot of work to do to implement it and to make sure that it works. And so how we do that, I think, is still an open question. But I am so confident that the Annapolis process that was launched, now less than a year ago, is an extraordinary breakthrough in the history of this conflict.
Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER LIVNI: Thanks.
2008/T29-2
Released on November 6, 2008

 

[pkpatriotic]

Remarks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
Secretary Condoleezza Rice
Ramallah
November 7, 2008

PRESIDENT ABBAS: (Via interpreter.) In the name of God, the merciful and the compassionate, once again I welcome Dr. Rice, who visits us today. This visit and the previous visits have expressed extensive and brilliant diplomatic – American diplomatic efforts towards the Middle East. And here it is important to thank President Bush, who had laid the foundations for such diplomatic efforts at Annapolis conference, and in his vision for a two-state solution and for his perseverance and his extensive follow-up throughout last year in order to lay the foundations for the peace process. And therefore, I would like to say we did not waste time, but we have benefited from every minute and every effort of the last year. And important and crucial foundations were laid down that will allow us to start again with a new administration, and also the American and the Israeli in order to conclude a peace agreement.

I have reconfirmed and reiterated to Dr. Rice, this time, that we are committed to a comprehensive peace with the Israeli side, in the sense that we want to reach a full comprehensive solution without looking for partial agreements or transitional agreements or postponement of any of the core issues that are well-known to everyone.

We have also asked that the tripartite commission will continue regarding the first article of the Roadmap, which is overseen and led by the U.S. And this mechanism that would allow the implementation and full implementation of the first article of the Roadmap.

We have also discussed, among others, about the issue of settlements and the continuation of settlement activities, about the roadblocks, about the incursions, as well as the issue of prisoners that we have always demanded that our Palestinian prisoners are released, those who are exiled to come back, and also the Jerusalem institutions that need to be reopened, and that we will be following up with the Israeli administration and American administration.

In recent days, there was an escalation, a dangerous escalation, in terms of the attacks by settlers against farmers, particularly during the olive harvest season. This was very inhuman and it was uncivilized actions by the settlers against these farmers and, unfortunately, sometimes in the presence of the Israeli army. And therefore, we have drawn the attention to these escalations and these dangerous escalations, in my view.

I have also spoken with Dr. Rice about the Palestinian dialogue, which will start – will be launched on the 10th of this month in Cairo. This dialogue that is being sponsored by Egypt and that is exerting all efforts in order to achieve the Palestinian reconciliation.

I have also stressed that we want to form a government, a Palestinian government, that is, that is independent, that is committed with the obligations of the PLO, the full commitments of the PLO. This government will run the affairs of the country and will also work to prepare for elections, legislative and presidential, that will take place simultaneously according to the elections law, the Palestinian elections law that talks about proportional basis.

Of course, no doubt, we will always need assistance, financial aid and humanitarian assistance because our people have no resources and, therefore, we need to see the continuation of the assistance and aid in all aspects, whether humanitarian or others. And in this context, we would like to reiterate the importance of some continued support to Gaza Strip and that all basic materials are accessible to people in Gaza Strip. And from our side, as you all know, we are paying the salaries of 77,000 employees in Gaza, in addition to 58 percent of the Palestinian budget that is allocated to Gaza Strip.

During this period we will continue our meetings with the Israeli side and with Prime Minister Olmert, and this is a natural thing. Until the elections – the Israeli elections take place, we will not waste time and we will not waste this opportunity, but we will continue to discuss all issues, including the day-to-day issues as well as issues of final status and negotiations. And the negotiation teams will continue to work as usual because they should continue their efforts, because all of this will help until we reach the final status negotiation.

And of course, I also informed Dr. Rice our thanks and gratitude for the financial assistance, alongside the political assistance, the financial assistance that American administration is also providing to the Palestinian people, and particularly the latest payments that were endorsed by the Congress.

On this occasion, we also wish to convey our congratulations to the American people for the democratic elections that took place. And these were – it was a long election campaign and were difficult elections, but they did take place at the end. And Mr. Barack Obama was elected as President of the U.S., and we convey our congratulations to him for his success in these elections, and thank you.

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you very much, Mr. President. And thank you for welcoming me here. Let me begin by saying that the American people appreciate the kind words that you have said about our own democracy. And we especially appreciate it because we know how hard you are working to build a truly democratic Palestinian state. You are someone who is yourself devoted to democracy, and I just want to take note of that.

When President Bush came into office in 2001, and it was a very difficult situation between Palestinians and Israelis, indeed the intifada was raging, large-scale Israeli military operations were taking place, many, many innocent Palestinians and Israelis were losing their lives. And I think that the idea of a two-state solution or an independent Palestine was a somewhat distant dream given that negotiations had collapsed at Camp David.

Some number of years later, we stand here as the Annapolis conference has launched the first serious negotiations between the two sides in nearly a decade. And the distance to that peace has been narrowed, although the peace has not yet been achieved. Over the last years – the last year, in particular, the parties have bravely demonstrated their commitment to substantive negotiations in an effort to reach a comprehensive peace which will cover all core issues. And I think that President Bush’s vision of a state of Palestine, an independent state of Palestine at peace with Israel, while it will not come in a single, dramatic moment, it will come because the commitment of the Palestinian and the Israeli people to their peace will not waiver. And if there is methodical and sustained and sincere initiative to include a final agreement, I know that you will.

It’s critical that in moving forward on the peace process we remember that other pillars were established at Annapolis as well, and those pillars cannot be separated; indeed, the work that is being done on the ground to improve the lives of the Palestinian people, the work that is being done to build the democratic institutions of a Palestinian state, the work that has been done to reform security services and to really improve their capability and to have them be professional security forces. I’m very much looking forward to going to Jenin because I think it is an example of this relationship between security provided by Palestinian forces for the Palestinian people, the willingness to fight extremists, as well as the ability to begin to deliver the economic and social benefits of a calm environment. I really hope, Mr. President, that in the days to come, there will be attention to what you have done and what your Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad, has done to improve the lives of the Palestinian people. And I want to take note of the fact that you have also not forgotten the people of Gaza. Despite the illegal activities of Hamas there, you have continued to act on their behalf and to their benefit.

We are going to have an unprecedented meeting of the Quartet in a few days to hear directly from Israeli and Palestinian participants in the negotiation. The Quartet expects to hear about the party’s commitment to the Annapolis process, their views on the progress that has been made on the key pillars and their desire for international support for continued efforts. We expect that the parties will reaffirm their commitment to the two-state solution, to negotiations toward that goal, and to a process that builds on the important progress that has already been achieved. We also expect that the parties will strictly hold to their commitments under the Roadmap.

And Mr. President, you can be assured that I will pass on to our successors your request for maintenance of the monitoring mechanism and a U.S. role as the lead in that mechanism. I think that it has done important work. General Silva is here today and continues his work in that regard.

I also want to note that settlement activity, both actions and announcements, is damaging for the atmosphere of negotiations. And the party’s actions should be encouraging confidence, not undermining it. And no party should take steps that could prejudice the outcome of negotiations and the United States will not consider settlement activity to affect any final status negotiations, including final borders. Borders are to be negotiated between the parties in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.

Mr. President, in closing, let me say that I will continue to work to help you advance toward peace and to help the Israelis advance toward peace until the day that I am done in office. But I do want to say that one of the really great joys of this last period of time in working with you has been to see your leadership and that of Prime Minister Fayyad, but also to see the extraordinary capability of the Palestinian people to persevere.

Against all odds, these are people who are building institutions of democratic governance. They’re going to work every day. They’re educating their children. They are doing what men and women across the world want to do, which is that they’re seeking to live in peace and dignity. And they are a dignified people. And I am certain that the day is coming soon when they will have a state that will be in accordance with that great national dignity. Thank you very much.

QUESTION: Mr. President, in a few days, you will be traveling to Cairo for the National Reconciliation Dialogue. Hamas puts conditions to release its prisoners that are held by the PA as a precondition to participate in the dialogue. So what is your response to that? Another question, Mr. President, what is the reaction of the PA to what is happening in the constructions at the graveyard in Jerusalem?

Ms. Rice, this is your last – probably your last visit to the region. And yesterday, you announced that the peace process will not witness any signature of an agreement this year, according to the understandings of the Annapolis conference. So what is the purpose of your visit? And do you have other future objectives that you would like to achieve before the end of this year and the swearing-in of the new administration?

PRESIDENT ABBAS: (Via interpreter.) Thank you. As for the Hamas detainees or what is – are described as political prisoners by Hamas, I would like to stress here that we do not have any political prisoner or a prisoner held on a political basis and we will not arrest anyone for their political affiliations or ideas or opinions or the expression thereof, whether politically or democratically. But what I would like to say very clearly, in order to maintain order and stability, we will not accept for anyone to practice any security actions, except for the Authority or that will obtain weapons or illegal money. These are the three issues we will not tolerate and we will not forgive.

But as for prisoners, in terms of political prisoners, but -- we will never accept that. We believe in democracy and we believe in pluralism and we believe in the freedom of expression of any kind of opinion, whether it supports or is against us, or otherwise. For security reasons or for military reasons or for financial reasons, then we would arrest these people and we will take them to court.

The second point regarding the graveyard that is being now destroyed in Jerusalem --unfortunately, the Israeli Government is – and they’re taking these actions which is destroying the Islamic graveyard, named Maman Allah. And this is a very dangerous issue, and I do not believe that the Israelis would accept this for themselves or for their own graveyards to disturb their dead, as they do with our Palestinian graveyards and what they do with the Islamic and Christian graveyards. And we raise our voices high and we reject completely these kinds of actions regardless of their justification and regardless of their source and initiators and regardless of any talk that they say that they have justifications for. This is something that we cannot accept.

SECRETARY RICE: Yes. Well, my purpose in coming is the purpose that I’ve had all along, which is to advance the Annapolis process as far as we possibly can. And I’m going to continue to work to do that, as I know the President will and the Israelis will as well.

I want to just say we knew when we said that at Annapolis expressed a desire, indeed, expressed an intention to try and help the Palestinians and Israelis reach agreement by the end of the year, that if that agreement was not reached by the end of the year, there would be those who would say that the Annapolis process, the negotiations, had failed. In fact, it is quite the opposite.

And one of the things that we must do is that we must show -- and the President and I have had some discussions about that, as I’ve had with Minister Livni and with Prime Minister Olmert – that the Annapolis process has laid the foundation for the eventual establishment of the state of Palestine. It has done so by creating integrated pillars for peace to be built from the bottom up, on the ground, improvement of conditions on the ground, establishment of viable Palestinian institutions, Roadmap implementation and adherence to those obligations, and a peace process that addresses all of the core issues. That is what Annapolis stands for. It stands for the integration of all of those pillars. It also stands for the fact that the parties must come to agreement themselves. There can be no substitute for bilateral agreement between the parties.

The United States has tried to facilitate and to help, but ultimately, the parties have to come to agreement. That is also what Annapolis stands for. Annapolis stands for the international commitment to ending the conflict, both in the region by the fact that the Arab representation at Annapolis included Saudi Arabia under its own flag for the first time, and the international community which will be expressed again by the Quartet when we go to Sharm el-Sheikh this weekend.

So the Annapolis process is vital and it is vibrant and it is continuing. And I am quite certain that, carried to its conclusion, it will produce a state of Palestine. It is perhaps not surprising that a conflict that has now gone on for decades may take some more time to resolve, but the right elements are there. The right level of trust has been developing between Palestinians and Israelis to make this work. And just as Oslo was a basis, Madrid was a basis, Annapolis is a basis. And while we may not yet be at the finish line, I am quite certain that if Palestinians and Israelis stay on the Annapolis course, they are going to cross that finish line and can do so relatively soon. And so my purpose is to help the President and the Prime Minister and the chief negotiators to make certain that the progress of Annapolis is sustained and left in place and intact so that the cross – the finish line can finally be crossed.

PRESIDENT ABBAS: (Via interpreter.) I would like to add something here, that Annapolis had laid the real and the genuine and the concrete foundations for the peace process, and the negotiations between the Israeli and the Palestinians – Annapolis. For the first time after Annapolis, there was a real dialogue about the final core issues. This did not happen before.

But I would like also to say that Annapolis had brought about the Paris conference that – where more than 90 countries participated, the countries that are helping economically the Palestinian cause, and who committed themselves to assistance to the Palestinian people, and many of them fulfilled their obligations and commitments. And so Annapolis had very – a lot of benefits, and this is one – some examples of it.

QUESTION: Secretary Rice, some senior Palestinian officials in recent days have expressed concern that the American and Israeli political calendars will lead to a vacuum, and that Israel will exploit the vacuum both to continue settlement activity and other activities on the ground that may be prejudicial to an agreement, and to conduct military campaigns – just one in Gaza on Wednesday.

I wonder if you share that fear or that concern about a vacuum and its effects? And as you now come toward the end of your term in office, if you feel a sense of lingering frustration that the Israelis have continued settlement activities throughout this period, including since Annapolis, despite their Roadmap commitments, and despite your and President Bush’s repeated descriptions of this as a problem and as damaging, as you just said now, to the peace process?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, I think we’re on the record about our views of the settlement activity, and that has been American policy in the past. I think perhaps we’ve spoken as clearly about it as anyone, perhaps more clearly, the President and I. And it is going to continue to be the case that settlement activity is inconsistent with the atmosphere that really helps promote negotiations.

Now that said, yes, it is a period of transition both in the United States, and ultimately, it will be a period of transition in Israel, although there is currently a government there – a caretaker government there. We are going to do everything that we can to make sure that this period of transition concentrates on solidifying the pillars of Annapolis. That means, more than anything, that the progress that is being made on the ground should be, if anything, accelerated. We should be working toward making certain some of the economic projects that are on the drawing board and the mission of Tony Blair, the security forces training that is going on, the improvement in conditions of the Palestinian people, that that continues.

President Abbas kindly mentioned the American assistance which has been direct support to the Palestinian Authority for the first time. I would expect that we will continue that, and I’m going to look at a USAID project. General Silva will continue to work on the Roadmap. So sustaining momentum is important, and sustaining momentum in the right direction, not in the wrong direction, is extremely important. So I – this is a period that can be used well. It can also be used to continue to advance the discussion on the core issues. And that’s what we expect of both sides.

QUESTION: (Via interpreter.) Dr. Rice, we have heard that you would like to see a statement being prepared about the main issues that the Israelis and the Palestinians have agreed to, and presented during the Quartet meeting at Sharm el-Sheikh. Is this true? And would that be a general public statement? Would it be a written statement? And what about the recommendations that you would give to the new administration – American administration about the peace process?

Mr. President, did you ask Dr. Rice for specific issues to be conveyed to the new administration?

SECRETARY RICE: The Quartet meeting was, in fact, a request from the parties to brief the Quartet, and so it will be in the hands of the parties to brief the Quartet in any way that they deem necessary. I know that they have believed very strongly, and I think correctly, that the confidentiality of their negotiations is one reason that they’ve built trust, and I don’t expect that that is going to change.

I do know that there has been a lot that has been done to develop mechanisms that will allow the parties to resolve key issues even if they are not yet resolved. And I would expect that we may hear something about that. But again, this will be briefings from the parties to the Quartet, and we’ll wait and see. I’m sure that there will be, as is usually the case at the end of a Quartet meeting, some public statement concerning what took place at the meeting. But the bilateral nature of these negotiations and the confidentiality of them have been two hallmarks of the Annapolis process, and I think that will undoubtedly continue.

As to advice to the next administration, I’ll give that privately. I think it won’t be all that different from what you’ve been hearing from me here. But again, I hope that the tremendous commitment of these parties, the Palestinians and Israelis, is fully understood by all who will come later. Because it is too easy to assume that the fact that negotiations take time, that negotiations raise difficult issues, that there are even disagreements from time to time about what is going on on the ground is somehow a signal that things are not moving forward.

In fact, I’ve seen them move forward a great deal over the last year, and more than anything, I will want to communicate that there is a momentum in this process and hope that it will be sustained.

PRESIDENT ABBAS: (Via interpreter.) Dr. Rice has mentioned many issues regarding the current Administration and the new administration, what can be conveyed as messages and recommendations. But our wishes, our desire that the current Administration will convey to the new administration that they start immediately addressing the Middle East issues and the peace process that we would benefit from the time so that we don’t waste the previous efforts and we don’t waste time in vain. And this is what we’ve asked and we hope that the new administration will follow up on this and will take up this point of view.

QUESTION: Mr. President – okay, it’s working now? Sorry. Mr. President, I wanted to ask you a little more detail (inaudible) what you want to see from the Palestinian dialogue; what would it mean for Gaza, what would you want to see in Gaza, and what would you want to see happen with the Palestinian security forces?

And Secretary Rice, if there is indeed a successful internal reconciliation with Hamas, what does – how would that affect dealings of the international community (inaudible)?

PRESIDENT ABBAS: (Via interpreter.) We – what happened on the 14th of June in 2007, we – we consider it as a coup d’etat. There’s no discussion about this. We talked to our Arab brothers in order to reestablish the security situation and to reorganize the security forces on professional basis, and this is what we’ve asked of the Arab countries. That is in Gaza Strip, of course, in addition to the two other issues that we discussed and explained, about the elections and about the nature of obligations of any future Palestinian government.

SECRETARY RICE: As to reconciliation, we have noted, along with other members of the Quartet, that we fully understand the desire for unity on the part of the Palestinian people. That unity, if it is able to advance the desire of the Palestinian people for peace, which I think is a very deep desire, is something that of course should be supported. Now of course, the issue is the former agreements that Palestinian leaders have signed on to now for decades. The issue is to seek peace recognizing that negotiations, not violence, is the only course to peace. The issue is to recognize that there is a legitimate president of the Palestinian Authority. Those are issues that have been raised by – by the Quartet, were raised at the time of the elections, were raised at the time of other reconciliation efforts. But I want it to be fully understood that the United States really does understand why the Palestinian people want unity. We believe that they want unity that will serve their interest and lead to peace. Thank you.
2008/T29-3
Released on November 7, 2008