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U.S. Department of State 93/04/21 News Conference on Middle East Peace Talks To Resume Office of the Spokesman Opening statement by Secretary of State Warren Christopher at a news conference Washington, DC April 21, 1993 On behalf of President Clinton, I am very pleased to announce that the Middle East peace talks will resume on April 27, here in Washington, DC. We were informed of this decision directly by the Arab leaders and by the Palestinians. This information came through [during] the night, and it has just been confirmed this morning. The information to us included a letter this morning from Faisal Husseini, in his capacity as head of the Palestinian peace team. I've informed Prime Minister Rabin of this good news and understand that the Israeli Government will be responding to these developments later today. We have also been consulting during this period with our Russian co- sponsors. These decisions, of course, are very welcome and serve the best interests of the Arab states, the Palestinians, Israel, and the entire world community. It has been almost 5 months since the last round of talks. Too much time has been lost, and now there is an opportunity for the parties to work together and make tangible progress. If the parties are prepared to do their part and to narrow the gaps, we will certainly do ours and play the role of full partner. From the outset of the Administration, President Clinton has made clear his commitment to promoting peace in the Middle East. Our extensive efforts over the past few months [and] the developments announced today reflect the high priority that President Clinton gives to doing so. Let me say just a few words about our contacts with the Palestinians. I've had important and productive discussions with them. They have spoken eloquently of the human rights problems in the occupied territories. They have reaffirmed the Palestinian commitment to the peace process and the importance of making early progress, particularly to address the conditions that the Palestinians face in the West Bank and Gaza. They have agreed that it's time to deal with causes, not the symptoms, of the conflict. We realize that the decision to rejoin the talks was a difficult one for them to make. I think it was a courageous one, and I commend them for making it. For our part, I have reaffirmed the American opposition to deportations, making it clear that we believe that they contravene the Fourth Geneva Convention and are not consistent with the pursuit of peace. Israel has assured us that the deportations in December were unprecedented and were an exception. I made [it] very clear that violence and deportation are counter-productive and that we call on all parties to avoid acts that can undermine the negotiating process and the prospects for peace. We are deeply dismayed by the killings and suffering in both the occupied territories and in Israel. In the course of this process, I also have reaffirmed on behalf of the United States our continued commitment to the letters of invitation to the Madrid conference and to the letters of assurance provided to the Palestinians and to the other parties at that time. Further, I affirmed our position on a comprehensive, full, and real peace based upon UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 and on the core principles that underlie that process--land for peace, realizing the legitimate political rights of the Palestinian people, and security for all parties. All the parties--Israel, the Palestinians, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon-- need and want real peace and security. Only negotiations can produce a settlement that embodies these principles. Negotiations can give the Palestinians the prospect that the very difficult conditions under which they now live in the territories can be brought to an end. Through negotiations, they can see occupation give way to self-government and a resolution of the final status. Negotiations will put in Palestinian hands the means to build and shape their institutions, their life, and their fate. Violence will not solve any problems. It will only make matters worse. Those responsible for the violence offer a future that only perpetuates occupation. The answer to the needs of the Palestinian people will be found not in violence and rejection but in negotiations that produce tangible results. In this respect, we very much welcome the decision of the Palestinians to come to the table and negotiations on April 27. We are prepared to play the role of full partners with all the parties in this negotiating process and in helping the negotiators to produce results. During my trip to the Middle East, every leader with whom I met-- Israeli, Arab, and Palestinian--made clear to me their desire to resume negotiations and achieve early results. All have recommitted themselves to the peace process during the recent consultations that led up to today's decision. In sum, it is time to end violence and build a new Middle East--a Middle East of peace, of reconciliation, and of hope. (###)