A rchive Date
[ 17-03-2003 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Britain ]
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[http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page3276.asp
Prime Minister's statement on the Middle East Peace Process
Prime Minister:
Good Afternoon everyone. I hope you will understand I would like to welcome the members of the Arab media here to this press conference and say to them I would like to focus on the Middle East particularly and, I am afraid I have got a telephone call later, so I will have time for a few questions, but I really want to concentrate on the issue that arises out of the statement by President Bush a short time ago.
I should say to you too that I have just spoken to the incoming Palestinian Prime Minister, Abu Masin (phon), and to Chairman Arafat, following the announcement by President Bush that the Middle East road map is being published as soon as the Palestinian Prime Minister takes office. I have passed on my congratulations to him. They indicated to me that they were hopeful that he might be able to take office as soon as early next week.
I have always said the most important thing that we can do is to show even-handedness towards the Middle East. We are right to focus on Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction, but we must put equal focus on the plight of the people whose lives are being devastated by lack of progress in the Middle East peace process. Israeli civilians who die in acts of terrorism, and Palestinians living and dying in appalling conditions of suffering.
This is a vital issue in its own right. I am pleased that one of the ways we have helped to secure progress today was through the London meeting on Palestinian reform in January. We will continue to provide whatever help we can for Palestinian reform and I shall continue to use whatever influence we can to make sure that peace talks are started without delay.
I believe the importance of what President Bush announced earlier simply cannot be over-stated. Publication of the roadmap represents the will of the international community to resolve this issue. All parties I hope will respond positively and start implementing it without delay, for it provides the route to a permanent two state solution with clear phases, timelines, target dates and benchmarks, aimed at progress through steps by both sides in all the relevant areas, and the destination is a final and comprehensive settlement of the Israel-Palestinian conflict by 2005.
Now this will only be achieved through an end to violence and terrorism, with a Palestinian leadership that acts decisively against terror and builds democracy, and through Israel's readiness to do what is necessary for a democratic and viable Palestinian state to be established. Of course we know from our own experience with the Northern Ireland peace process that the words are easy, but the deeds have to follow. But the prize is enormous. For a settlement, negotiated between the parties, can now result in the emergence of an independent democratic and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with the state of Israel. That is a cause worth working for and today I would like to recommit the efforts of this government to do everything we can to get this process started and up and running.
Question:
You agree that for Palestinians I think this comes too little too late at this time, and people cannot ... before an unpopular and imminent war, so why should anyone read the situation any differently now, that there is a commitment from the international community?
Prime Minister:
Because the most important thing, we know there is a great focus on Iraq at the moment, of course there is, but I think the issue that people have always raised with us is show you are even-handed, tell us that you are prepared to care and work as much for a resolution of the Palestinian issue as you do about the issue of weapons of mass destruction. Now today we have the American President committing himself to the publication of the roadmap. That is what people have sought, that is what people have been working for, that is what people have been arguing for, and this is a big step forward because that roadmap gives us the clear phases to come to a comprehensive settlement based on the two state solution. That is why it is important, and I hope people don't cavil on it, but build on it.
Question:
There is still wide concern in the region about the post-Saddam era and about the fact that he might go into exile and then there will be further problems about his weapons and all that.
Prime Minister:
Well there are issues, I have addressed them on many occasions. I hope you forgive me if at the moment, you will have lots of opportunities to ask me about that in the next few days I am sure, but I would like to concentrate on the Israel-Palestine issue today.
Question:
What reassurance can you give to Israelis who, whilst they accept that there are going to be efforts made by the Palestinians to stop terrorism, have seen 57 foiled attempts at suicide attacks in the last month, what assurances can you give them that the Palestinians will this time be able to deliver? Second, what advice can you give to Israelis who are fearing an attack from Saddam Hussein, what is going to be done to help protect them should they retaliate? And finally, did the roadmap quartet accept any of the requests from Israel for amendments to that roadmap prior to publication?
Prime Minister:
The roadmap will be published and I think it is right that the Palestinian leadership and the state of Israel receive the roadmap first before me commenting on the detail of it. And I would just like to deal with the anxiety of Israelis as well, many of whose citizens in the state of Israel have died in appalling and barbaric terrorist acts, but we also have a situation where Palestinians are dying, where there is terrible suffering there, and the only way that we are going to bring that suffering to an end and these terrible terrorist acts is by having a viable political process, leading to a two state solution, and having also the security measures in place that allow us to give the best chance of minimising the risks from terrorism. And that is why I have always said that the single most important thing is as well as obviously condemning the acts of terrorism, is to provide a long term solution because that in the end is the only answer.
Question:
... with the Sharon government. And my next question, why the roadmap, what happened to Prince Abdullah's peace initiative which was blessed by everybody?
Prime Minister:
Well of course the roadmap is really based upon that concept. What Crown Prince Abdullah was saying was we needed a solution based on the two states, and what the roadmap does is give us the details of that. For example in Phase 1 there has obviously got to be the cessation of hostilities, resumption of security cooperation, comprehensive political reform, necessary steps to normalise Palestinian life, the withdrawal from Palestinian areas occupied from September 2000, the freeze on all settlement activity. There are specifics here that give effect if you like to that concept of the two state solution. And that is why I think it is so important. In the end the only way of dealing with this is to agree the end objective, that is the two state solution, and then to agree the steps. And in the roadmap are the details, that is the solution, that is the way forward. And if we can get people really working on that then we have got every chance in my belief of getting a settlement. And I think it is vitally important, particularly at this moment, to make sure that people do recognise we are taking our responsibilities to resolve this issue as much as our responsibilities in respect of other things.
Question:
On that very note, realistically how much attention and determination can you actually give to this process at a time like this when the next weeks and months are going to be dominated by Iraq? And can you just tell us one word about what you are up to in the Azores on Sunday?
Prime Minister:
My spokesman will tell you all about that, I really want to concentrate on this. The answer to your point is that yes we can concentrate on the issue of the Middle East peace process. Over the past few weeks and months, despite all the concentration on Iraq, we have held the meeting about political reform here in London, we have now got a Palestinian Prime Minister. When he takes up his office the roadmap for peace will be published and the commitment, not just from myself but from President Bush, is to work in order to make sure that that roadmap is implemented, that we carry it through and that we actually take the necessary practical steps so that we end up with a viable Palestinian state and a state of Israel confident of its own security, recognised by its Arab neighbours.
Question:
Surely you would expect a few people in the Middle East to be a little bit sceptical about the very timing of this initiative in relation to the Iraq issue. And speaking of assurances, what assurances would you be able to give the Palestinians and Arabs in general that such an extreme right wing government in Israel would commit itself to any kind of proposal at this very time?
Prime Minister:
Well let me just deal with the issue of the timing. I think it is precisely now, when we do have all this focus on the issue of weapons of mass destruction and Saddam and all the things that he has done, it is precisely now that we say to the Arab and Muslim world, we accept the obligation of even-handedness, we accept that it is right now that we have to say to people that the issue of peace between Palestinians and Israelis is as important as any other issue to us. And what this roadmap does is it gives us the practical steps to get there. And yes of course we have to deal with the two partners in that process - the Palestinian Authority and the State of Israel - but the commitment in the roadmap are specific steps, they are not just general steps, they are specific steps that we are committed to in order to achieve that two state solution.
And that is the importance of it. And what I hope people can do is to take this commitment now and hold us to it, make sure that the steps that are set out there are worked through. And for ourselves I hope you would understand that in these past few months, particularly with the conference here on Palestinian political reform, we have shown that this is not something that we take a passing interest in, it is something that we are fundamentally committed to. And it is arising out of the conference here that we managed to get the appointment of Abu Masin as the Palestinian Prime Minister. When he takes up his office the roadmap is then given to him and the government of Israel and then we can move it forward. And it was virtually in this very room that I met the members of the quartet a short time ago, a few weeks ago, and said I would do everything I could to make sure that the roadmap was indeed the basis of moving forward.
So of course there is a huge focus on Iraq at the moment, there is bound to be, but I think that is the reason why now is the time to say to people we are even-handed, we are going to make this commitment to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process because I believe, and you will know this perhaps better than me, but I believe that many people in the Arab and Muslim world detest Saddam, know he is a tyrant and a dictator who has killed many of his own people. Their real criticism of us throughout has been, show that you are even-handed, show that you are also committed to ending the suffering of other people because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
And today we have the commitment that people have asked us to give for the publication of the roadmap that allows us to get to that two state solution - an Israeli state confident of its security, a viable Palestinian state.
 World Fact Book (CIA)]
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