Office of Global Communications
June 5, 2003

The Rights and Aspirations of the Peoples of the Middle East

President Bush believes in the non-negotiable demands of human dignity for all people everywhere. During his June 2003 trip to the Middle East, the President reiterated his vision for two states living side by side, a state of Palestine and a state of Israel. As President Bush said at Aqaba, Jordan, on June 4, 2003: “Ultimately, permanent security requires peace, and permanent peace can only be obtained through security. And there is now hope of a new opportunity for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”

• “All here today now share a goal: the Holy Land must be shared between the state of Palestine and the state of Israel, living at peace with each other and with every nation of the Middle East. All sides will benefit from this achievement and all sides have responsibilities to meet. As the road map accepted by the party makes clear, both must make tangible immediate steps toward this two-state vision.”
  Bush statement on Road Map to peace with Sharon, Abbas, and King Abdullah
  Aqaba, Jordan
  June 4, 2003

• “Great success happens when there's two states, living side-by-side in peace. And this is progress.”
  Bush statement on the Road Map toward peace
  Aboard Air Force One
  June 4, 2003

• “We meet in Sinai at a moment of promise for the cause of peace in the Middle East. We see the potential for unity against terror. We see the potential for the birth of a new and Palestinian state. We see the potential for broader peace among the peoples of this region. Achieving these goals will require courage and moral vision on every side, from every leader. America is committed, and I am committed, to helping all the parties to reach the hard and heroic decisions that will lead to peace.”
  President Bush Meets with President Mubarak of Egypt
  Sharm el Sheikh
  June 3, 2003

• “[W]e all have got to work together to make security real -- not only for Israel, but for the Palestinian people.”
  Bush statement on the Road Map toward peace
  The Library
  May 29, 2003

• “[T]here are responsibilities that all of us have as leaders, not only responsibility to the new Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, not only the responsibility of the Israeli Prime Minister, but a responsibility for the leadership in the Arab world to fight terror, prevent killers from stopping the process from going forward.”
  Bush statement on upcoming meeting with Abbas and Sharon
  The Roosevelt Room, Washington D.C.
  May 29, 2003

• “I urge Israelis and Palestinians to work with us and with other members of the international community, and above all directly with each other to immediately end the violence and return to a path of peace based on the principles and objectives outlined in my statement of June 24, 2002. Both Israelis and Palestinians have suffered from the terror and violence, and from the loss of hope in a better future of peace and security. An opportunity now exists to move forward. The United States will do all it can to seize this opportunity. To that end, I have asked Secretary Powell to travel to the region to begin working with the parties so that we can take advantage of this moment.”
  President Bush’s Statement on the Middle East
  Office of the Press Secretary
  April 30, 2003

• “America is committed, and I am personally committed, to implementing our road map toward peace. Our efforts are guided by clear principles: We believe that all people in the Middle East – Arab and Israeli alike – deserve to live in dignity, under free and honest governments. We believe that people who live in freedom are more likely to reject bitterness, blind hatred and terror; and are far more likely to turn their energy toward reconciliation, reform and development.

  “There can be no peace for either side in the Middle East unless there is freedom for both. Reaching that destination will not be easy, but we can see the way forward. Now the parties must take that way, step by step, and America will be the active partner of every party that seeks true peace.”
  President Bush’s Statement on the Road Map to Peace
  The Rose Garden
  March 14, 2003

• “Success in Iraq could also begin a new stage for Middle Eastern peace, and set in motion progress towards a truly democratic Palestinian state. The passing of Saddam Hussein's regime will deprive terrorist networks of a wealthy patron that pays for terrorist training, and offers rewards to families of suicide bombers. And other regimes will be given a clear warning that support for terror will not be tolerated.”
  President Bush Discusses the Future of Iraq
  Washington Hilton Hotel
  February 26, 2003

• “The United States and other nations are working on a road map for peace. We are setting out the necessary conditions for progress toward the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. It is the commitment of our government -- and my personal commitment -- to implement the road map and to reach that goal.”
  President Bush Discusses the Future of Iraq
  Washington Hilton Hotel
  February 26, 2003

• “[T]here are a lot of non-governmental organizations doing work within the Palestinian Territory to make sure that people don't starve. But the net effect of terrorism is to not only stop the peace process, but is to cause suffering amongst all the people of the region. And that's why our war against terror must -- must remain steadfast and strong, wherever terror exists.”
  President Bush Signs Child Internet Safety Legislation
  The Roosevelt Room, Washington, D.C.
  December 4, 2002

• “Well, first of all, I'm committed to peace. That's – I can speak for myself. And I'm committed to a vision of two states respecting each other, two states living side by side in peace.”
  President Bush, King Abdullah Discuss Middle East Peace
  The Oval Office, Washington, D.C.
  August 1, 2002

• “This moment is both an opportunity and a test for all parties in the Middle East: an opportunity to lay the foundations for future peace; a test to show who is serious about peace and who is not. The choice here is stark and simple. The Bible says, ‘I have set before you life and death; therefore, choose life.’ The time has arrived for everyone in this conflict to choose peace, and hope, and life.”
  President Bush Calls for New Palestinian Leadership
  The Rose Garden
  June 24, 2002

• “I don't think Mr. Arafat is the issue. I think the issue is the Palestinian people. And as I have expressed myself, I am disappointed that he has not led in such a way that the Palestinian people have hope and confidence. And so, therefore, what we've got to do is work to put institutions in place which will allow for a government to develop which will bring confidence not only to Israelis, but the Palestinians.”

  “And so, first things first, and that is, what institutions are necessary to give the Palestinian people hope and to give the Israelis confidence that the emerging government will be someone with whom they can deal. And that's going to require security steps; transparency, when it comes to economic matters; anti-corruption devices; rule of law, enforced by a court system.”
  President Bush Meets with Prime Minister Sharon
  Washington, D.C.
  June 10, 2002

  “The United States and the EU share a common vision of two states, Palestine and Israel, living side by side in peace and security. This vision offers the Palestinian people a new opportunity to choose how they live. We should take this opportunity to help build institutions that will serve the Palestinian people, a Palestinian state and its neighbors, as well.”
  President Bush Meets with European Leaders
  The East Room, Washington, D.C.
  May 2, 2002

• “There are clearly people in the Middle East who would use terror as a weapon to derail any peace process. And for there to be peace -- something I long for, and something I know that Israel and the Palestinian people long for -- in order for there to be peace, we must continue to rout out terror. And the message can't be more clear, and we're going to continue to hold people accountable for results.”
  Statement by the President on the Middle East
  The Bush Ranch, Crawford, Texas
  April 28, 2002

• “When an 18 year old Palestinian girl is induced to blow herself up, and in the process kills a 17 year old Israeli girl, the future, itself, is dying -- the future of the Palestinian people and the future of the Israeli people. The United States is strongly committed to finding a just settlement in the Middle East. That settlement must lead to two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.”
  Radio Address by the President to the Nation
  April 6, 2002