Mr. President, earlier today I had the privilege of being present at the White House to witness the historic signing of the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and Gaza by Prime Minister of Israel Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. With the stroke of their pens, they have taken their people and all the peoples of the Middle East one step closer to lasting peace.
Today is truly a day for celebration and prayers of thanks.
All of the efforts of those who were the enemies of peace could not deter these two brave leaders from their goal of finding the common ground that made this agreement a reality. Nor were President Clinton, Secretary Christopher, or Ambassador Dennis Ross prepared to cease their efforts as honest brokers to bridge last minute disagreements that stood in the way of finalizing the deal. Since the establishment of the State of Israel more than 47 years ago, the people of Israel have sought to live in peace with their neighbors in the Middle East. For too long Israeli efforts to reach out for peace and dialogue with its Arab counterparts were met with rejection and terrorism. Fortunately, that has now largely changed.