I also want to acknowledge the critical role played by King Hussein during this process. His leadership and commitment to peace provided momentum at a crucial moment. I would also like to extend my appreciation to President Mubarak of Egypt for his important contributions. Although the credit for the agreement belongs mainly to the parties, the role of the United States was essential in helping Israelis and Palestinians achieve their goals. Reaching an agreement on Hebron redeployment is an important step in pursuit of Israeli-Palestinian peace and in our search for a comprehensive peace in the region.
Many challenges remain to be overcome.
Nonetheless, working with the parties, the United States will continue to make Arab-Israeli peace a top priority. And with determination and good will on the part of all the parties, we will continue to work to realize the kind of just and lasting peace that Arabs and Israelis have for too long been denied.