10/05/2001 White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer said that President Bush believes Israeli Prime Minister Sharon made "unacceptable" remarks regarding U.S. support for Israel. Fleischer was referring to Sharon's statement on October 4 in which Sharon said the United States should not repeat the mistakes of the West in dealing with Hitler in 1938 and appease the Arabs at Israel's expense. "Israel can have no better or stronger friend than the United States," Fleischer said while briefing reporters in Washington October 5, "President Bush is an especially close ally of Israel. The United States has been and will continue to work very hard to secure peace in the Middle East, to press the parties to end the violence and return to a political dialogue," the spokesman said. Fleischer said President Bush's message was conveyed in three ways: through the U.S. Embassy in Israel, through the National Security Council, and in a conversation between Secretary of State Colin Powell and Prime Minister Sharon. Asked if U.S. policy toward the peace process had changed since the September 11 terrorist attacks, Fleischer said, "American policy toward peace in the Middle East is just as strongly committed to the peace process and is identical to the policies established prior to September 11 as it is today. These events have not changed American policy." Fleischer said the United States supports the establishment of a Palestinian state provided "the right of Israel to exist in peace and security is recognized." Following are excerpts from Fleischer's October 5 briefing with his comments about Israel: (begin excerpt) Q: Ari, the president -- can you tell us what the president's reaction was to Prime Minister Sharon's comments yesterday? MR. FLEISCHER: Yesterday, Prime Minister Sharon issued a statement in which he said that the United States should not repeat the mistakes of the West in 1938 and appease the Arabs at Israeli expense. He said, quote, "Do not try to appease the Arabs at our expense," warning that Israel, quote, "will not be Czechoslovakia." And the president believes that these remarks are unacceptable. Israel can have no better or stronger friend than the United States and better friend than President Bush. President Bush is an especially close ally of Israel. The United States has been and will continue to work very hard to secure peace in the Middle East, to press the parties to end the violence and return to a political dialogue. And that will continue to be the goals and the policies of the United States. Q: Can I follow up on that? First of all, how is the -- it's pretty -- to call that unacceptable is a pretty strong response from you publicly and from the president. How is that sentiment being communicated to Prime Minister Sharon? Will the president, or has he, called him? And what more, then, do you think needs to be done now by the president, by this administration, to work with Israel or communicate the goals, and bring Israel a little bit closer in to this effort? MR. FLEISCHER: The president's message was conveyed in three ways. It was conveyed through the embassy in Israel, it was conveyed through the National Security Council, and it was conveyed through the State Department. Secretary Powell has spoken with the prime minister. But in terms of -- you asked basically what comes next. What comes next is, the president hopes, a rededication of all the parties to achieving peace in the Middle East. I repeat, Israel has no better friend than the United States, and Israel will continue to have no better friend than the United States. And -- Q: But, my question was, evidently, Prime Minister Sharon may not feel that way at the moment, or is feeling something that leads him to make comments that he did. So what does the president have to do, or the administration have to do to bring Israel on board in this coalition perhaps in a way that it has not been done before? MR. FLEISCHER: Well, this is a statement in regard to the Middle East peace process. This is not part of the broader coalition exercise involving terrorism and the events of September 11th. So -- the statement, though, David, speaks for itself. The president has conveyed his message. He's conveyed it privately. He conveyed it publicly. The statement speaks for itself, and what comes next is the importance of reaffirming the peace process in Israel so that violence can be diminished. Ron? Q: Can I follow up? MR. FLEISCHER: Ron? Q: Has the president talked to the Prime Minister? If not, why not? And what did the secretary of State say in his conversation? MR. FLEISCHER: The president has not. And as always, any time calls are made, I will try to give you information. But the secretary spoke to the prime minister about the importance of returning to the peace process and made clear the reaction of the president to the statements that the prime minister had made. Q: Ari, why didn't the president make that call himself? MR. FLEISCHER: This was the appropriate manner in which to get the message across. Q: Ari, you've said that the premise of the statement was unacceptable. What's the president's opinion of the particular historical reference that Sharon made? MR. FLEISCHER: I think it speaks for itself, John, the reference to appeasement. Israel has no better friend than the United States and will continue to have no better friend than the United States. Terry? Q: Does the president believe that terrorists around the world get support, succor, funding in part because of Israeli policies of occupation, settlement, and reprisal, and U.S. support for those policies? And as part of the campaign against terrorism, does the president believe those policies and U.S. support for them must change? MR. FLEISCHER: You know, terrorism exists in the world in all kinds of shapes, forms. And I think it's sad to say, but if a beautiful and perfect lasting peace were brought to the Middle East today, terrorism would still exist in this world. And the president is committed, in the wake of the attacks on our country on September 11th, to take this campaign against those terrorists and against those -- continue to harbor terrorists. Q: But in understanding the phenomenon of terrorism, in order to combat it, are Israel's policies part of the problem? MR. FLEISCHER: Terry, peace in the Middle East is intrinsically good, in its own merits, on its own, regardless of anything else that is happening in the world. And that's why the president feels so strongly that in the wake of this attack, it's important for people in the region to seize this opportunity and recommit themselves to the peace process. (Cross talk.) Q: And one more on this. MR. FLEISCHER: Go ahead, Terry. Q: Have the events of September 11th brought more urgency or changed the U.S. -- the administration's approach to the peace process in the Middle East? MR. FLEISCHER: No. The American policy toward peace in the Middle East is just as strongly committed to the peace process and is identical to the policies established prior to September 11th as it is today. Those events have not changed American policy. Q: Ari -- MR. FLEISCHER: Steve? Q: Ari, are you seeking an apology from Prime Minister Sharon or some sort of public statement from him explaining what he meant? MR. FLEISCHER: Steve, I think the statement speaks for itself. The message has been conveyed both privately and publicly. Q: Ari -- MR. FLEISCHER: Kelly? Q: Ari, can you tell us what message the prime minister communicated to Secretary of State Colin -- MR. FLEISCHER: No, I don't speak for foreign leaders. Q: Can I follow up, too? An aide to the prime minister is saying today that the prime minister did not imply in any way that America and its leaders were dealing in a dishonorable way. What the prime minister intended was to make a warning to everyone, including ourselves, but especially to the leaders of the free world, that appeasement never works. You were calling for that clarification, apparently -- MR. FLEISCHER: Again, there's -- the president's statement speaks for itself. .... Q: Ari, is it the administration's understanding that these remarks by Sharon were prompted by the talk of an eventual Palestinian state, or is it something aimed at our efforts to build a coalition among Arab states, even some who were previously supporters of terrorism? MR. FLEISCHER: Jim, I can't divine the reasons that foreign leaders say what they say. It's not my place to do so. But I do note what the president said about the end of a negotiated settlement. The vision has always included, of course, a Palestinian state so long as the right of Israel to exist in peace and security is recognized. That's very similar to what Prime Minister Sharon himself said on September 24th. The prime minister himself said Israel wants to give the Palestinians what no one else has given them: the possibility of establishing a state. So their remarks on that question are similar actually. Q: And that's what makes me wonder if it is related to something other than those remarks. Did the Israeli government in any way convey the meaning of what he said in public to the United States? MR. FLEISCHER: There is no other information I have on it. The remarks were as you've heard them from the prime minister. Q: Ari. Connie. Q: To also follow up, is the administration saying at this point it would be better for Israel to reduce the size or close down some of the settlements, which many Israelis approve of, and also to retreat to some sort of "fortress Israel?" MR. FLEISCHER: That is all part of the Mitchell accords. And the Mitchell accords discuss the eventual other items that come with political talks. But it begins with security, and it's hard to get to that point until a cease-fire can be enforced in the Middles East and that the parties agree to pursue peace. But the American position is unchanged that the settlement policy is unhelpful. Q: But some Israelis even believe that the settlements detract from the security of Israel, of Israel proper. MR. FLEISCHER: I just -- I just enunciated what American policy is on it. (end excerpt) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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