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June 21, 2002/Tamuz 11 5762, Vol. 54, No. 40
Cease-fire first, then peace talksARIEL SHARON
The infrastructure of terror against Israel was established before this government took office. The main purpose of our national unity government was to achieve a cessation of violence and incitement as a vital and essential condition for the resumption of our efforts to achieve peace with security for our people. I offered a practical proposal to end the violence and reiterated our commitment to achieve peace. I proposed making a distinction between the general population seeking to live in peace with us and the terrorists. I suggested ways to ease their suffering and return to normal living conditions. I extended my hand in peace, and was met by a wave of acts of terror and violence. Still, we have not given up on direct dialogue to bring about an end to violence. In talks with various world leaders, I presented our ideas for a step-by-step long-term interim agreement, and a permanent settlement possible only after the cessation of terror. However, Yasser Arafat chose a different path. He chose a strategy of terror and established a coalition of terrorist organizations. By way of blood and horror, he wants to force Israel into a unilateral withdrawal to the 1967 borders, including Jerusalem, and then press for the return of the refugees to undermine the very existence of the State of Israel. But peace can only be attained once a cessation of violence is achieved and terrorism is uprooted. A Palestinian leadership must emerge willing to accept the primary responsibility of every regime to prevent the use of its territory for indiscriminate acts of violence and murder. If such a Palestinian leadership should arise, it will find in Israel a hand extended toward peace and negotiations. Despite the extreme demands included in the resolutions of the conference of Arab leaders in Beirut, I welcome the fact that an important Arab leader such as Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has, for the first time, adopted the vision of peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors - a vision which Israel's leaders have espoused for the last 54 years. We welcome the Saudi initiative and vision, but the details must be negotiated between the parties themselves. Peace negotiations cannot be dictated. No party can enforce unilateral conditions. U.N. Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 affirm Israel's right to exist in peace, and within secure and recognized borders, free from any military threat, like any other nation in the region. These borders must be directly negotiated between the parties. Israel cannot accept the return of Arab refugees to its territory, as it would effectively terminate the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish state. Neither can Israel accept any solution that would divide Jerusalem and deny Israel full sovereignty over its 3,000-year-old capital. What is the outline through which a comprehensive peace in the Middle East may be advanced? Personally, I doubt it is possible to leap from the current violent conflict directly into a comprehensive permanent agreement that will bring a complete and final end to the conflict. Only when Palestinians come to the realization that violence is not an option will we be able to achieve a real cease-fire. And only when the Arabs reconcile with the birthright of the Jews to have a Jewish state in their ancestral homeland, can true lasting peace be achieved. It is from that point that I propose to move forward toward a long-term interim agreement. It is in this situation that the Palestinians will be able to build an independent society and rebuild their ruined economy. We can and are willing to generously assist them in preparing their people for peace and good neighborly relations. The history of the political relations between Israel and the Arab states is proof of the viability of a gradual step-by-step approach. We were in a state of war with the Egyptians. The Yom Kippur war ended with an agreed cease-fire, in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolutions 338 and 339. Since that cease-fire came into effect, not one bullet has been fired between the Israeli and Egyptian armies. Shortly afterward, we proceeded toward long-term interim agreements, which led to the commencement of direct negotiations and finally to the peace treaty of 1979 between the two countries. Peace with Egypt has been sustained because it was predicated on the solid foundations of peace with ironclad security arrangements. Although the situation with the Palestinians is more complicated, together we can, I believe, move forward toward a better future for both our peoples. All of Israel is committed to peace. I believe that we are destined to live here with Arabs and that if we remain united and determined, we will be able to bring our Palestinian and Arab neighbors to realize that peace is the only real viable choice for them as well. This piece was compiled for JTA from recent speeches by the prime minister.
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