Mubarak and Clinton Address Settlements

On July 30, U.S. President Bill Clinton and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak were asked about the Netanyahu government's settlement policies.

President Mubarak: First and foremost, a just and fair peace must be based on a formula which was proposed by the cosponsors of the Madrid Peace Conference of October 1991 and accepted by all parties. The core of this formula is Security Council Resolutions 242, 338, and 425, and the principle of land for peace and the joint political rights of the Palestinian people.

These terms of reference constitute the solid foundation of the peace process. Hence, all the parties must abide by them. Activities which are inconsistent with the requirements and spirit of peace, such as settlement activities and the confiscation of lands, should be terminated.

Q: President Clinton, President Mubarak, a new plan by Israel to build new roads into the occupied areas and new bridges seems to signal a return to a hard line by Israel. My question very simply to both of you is, can there be peace in the Middle East if the new Israeli prime minister carries out his campaign promises to his own people?

President Clinton: Well, first of all, I have, like you, seen the reports of the proposed road-building campaign. But I do not--I don't know whether they're new roads, expansions of existing roads, nor do we know for sure that the government of Israel has adopted that policy. We know that--the report is that a member of the government has proposed that. So until the government of Israel adopts that as policy, it is--I don't want to blame them for something they haven't done yet.

We are concerned about anything that could affect the peace process adversely. And we expect and believe that Israel will adhere to the agreements it has already made, including the Oslo Accords, the agreements that were signed here. And the Prime Minister assured me that that was so. So until I have evidence that that is not so, I don't think I should go further.

I'm concerned about the reports I've read, but I don't know precisely what the plan is, and my understanding is it has not yet been adopted by the government. And the government's commitment is to continue the peace process and not to do anything inconsistent with the commitments made by the Israeli government before it. So we'll have to see what happens.

Q: My question is for President Clinton. It was reported yesterday that the Israeli government is considering lifting the ban on the settlement activity. So if this happened, what will be the U.S. position with regard to this issue? And is this going to change its longstanding stand with regard to this issue?

President Clinton: Well, first of all, we haven't changed our positions on any issues as a result of the election in Israel. Our positions are just what they were. So we haven't changed. The settlement issue under the Oslo Accords is a matter for determination between the parties as we move to the end of the negotiations. And we have encouraged everyone not to do anything which would weaken the chances of peace.

And so, again, we need to know exactly what it is they're thinking about doing, because in the previous administrations, Prime Minister Rabin and Prime Minister Peres, the existing settlements expanded more or less with population growth in the State of Israel. And that was not considered to be a serious violation of the understandings that were existing at that time.

So before we--again, I say before I say anything I would need to know exactly what it is they intend to do. But my position on these issues is the same today as it was the day before the election in Israel. None of our positions have changed and they won't change.