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B'nai B'rith 9/8/92 [OA 5812] [1]
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B'nai B'rith 9/8/92 [OA 5812] [1]
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Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
FOIA Number:
S
S
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MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
Library Staff.
Record Group/Collection:
George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
Collection/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting, White House Office of
Series:
Speech File Draft Files
Subseries:
Chron File, 1989-1993
OA/ID Number:
13640
Folder ID Number:
13640-001
Folder Title:
B'nai B'rith 9/8/92 [OA 5812] [1]
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
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26
18
4
6
1592
Sept. 8 / Administration of George Bush, 1992
Administration of Geor
White House Statement on Proposed
phoon Omar in Guam; $297.7 million will
Disaster Relief Legislation
be used for similar costs stemming from Hur-
Let me express at th
sonal observation. I W:
September 8, 1992
ricane Andrew; and $480.6 million will be
used to rebuild the facilities destroyed at
good friend George Kl.
Today the President submitted to the Con-
Homestead Air Force Base.
this, but I want to exp
gress emergency supplemental requests to
The President requested that the legisla-
a good friend of everyb
cover the incremental costs arising from the
tion in which these funds are provided be
that is Max Fisher, wh
consequences of Hurricane Andrew and Ty-
kept free of extraneous matters "in order that
today, regrettably is in
to him, and I'm sure he
phoon Omar. The requests are for the Fed-
there may be a minimum of delay in provid-
eral Emergency Management Agency
spirit, that Max Fisher
ing necessary funds to the disaster areas."
(FEMA), the Small Business Administration
is still just as wonderful
The President has designated all of the re-
(SBA), and most of the Cabinet Depart-
imagine and hope for.
quests, other than the three contingency re-
Now, we have witness
ments. The requested funds represent a Fed-
quests and the request for appropriations to
about this, a world of
eral financial response to address the effects
the Department of Defense, as emergency
change comes new chall
of Hurricane Andrew and Typhoon Omar of
requirements pursuant to the Balanced
the end of the cold war
over $7.6 billion in budgetary resources.
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act
of a new era, a new era C
The requests for emergency and related
of 1985, as amended.
supplemental appropriations for FY 1992
tion that America simpl-
The details of these requests are described
total $2,911.6 million in budget authority and
In the new world, forei
in an attachment.
would support additional loan activity of over
policy, and domestic poli
$3 billion. These funds will be used for a
Note: Attached to the statement were de-
issue. And in order to
States must be not on:
comprehensive range of disaster-related ac-
tailed descriptions of Agencies' specific pro-
tivities including direct assistance to individ-
grams and budget requests. That material is
power but an export supe
uals, infrastructure repair, human services,
available at the White House Publication Of-
nomic superpower as we
Yet we know that Am
and law enforcement. The additional avail-
fice.
ability of loans will assist in building and re-
more than the strength C
by the content of our ch
building homes, facilitate economic recovery
serve others. And this
through small business loans, and help farm-
ers who have suffered the loss of structures
out, to help those in need
Remarks and a Question-and-Answer
all the divides of color an
and crops.
Session at the B'nai B'rith
In addition to direct emergency and relat-
International Convention
our shared human spirit
B'rith is all about. For 1
ed appropriations, contingent funds of $143
September 8, 1992
million for FEMA and $75 million in budget
bers of this organization ,
authority for SBA (which would support an
The President. Thank you, Senator.
ful of other organizations
additional $350 million of new loans) are re-
Thank you all very much. Please be seated,
tion's conscience. And pa
quested to replenish the depleted contin-
and thank you. Let me just say what a joy
science must always be to
gency funds of these Agencies. Establish-
it is to have been introduced by Rudy Bosch-
and other forms of preju
ment of a disaster-related contingency fund
witz. The Senate still misses him. He is my
whenever they appear. I
President, that I could sta
within Funds Appropriated to the President
friend, and so you can discount some of those
is also requested for $350 million in unantici-
today say that anti-Semit
kind words. But I'll tell you it was awfully
not, not when there are }
pated disaster-related needs. These contin-
thoughtful of you, Kent and others, to ask
home, brownshirts abroa
gent appropriations would become available
Rudy to present me here to this most pres-
upon the President's transmittal of subse-
commentary on human na
tigious order, this group. And thank you for
Let's all be clear: A wo
quent budget requests to the Congress des-
the kind introduction. And Kent, thank you,
ignating each such request as an emergency
Jews to be persecuted is
sir, for what I understand is an extraor-
requirement.
allow other tyrannies to
dinarily successful meeting getting under-
In addition to these emergency funding re-
not helpless. And we're
way. May I salute Ambassador Shoval, with
quirements, $983.9 million in nonemergency
whom we are working very closely, Israel's
about it. In this country,
funding is requested for the Department of
Ambassador here in the United States. And
employing the Hate Crim
Defense. Of this amount, $205.6 million will
justice those who traffic i
of course, the B'nai B'rith leadership who
be used for replacement of facilities and
Semitism is an evil idea W
graciously met me when I came here. And
equipment, cleanup activities, and military
to everyone else, it's an honor to be with you
And I'll do my utmost, he
personnel support costs stemming from Ty-
today.
that prejudice is finally, f.
ished from the human hear
rge Bush, 1992
Administration of George Bush, 1992 / Sept. 8
1593
7 million will
Let me express at the outset another per-
In the end, anti-Semitism and prejudice
ning from Hur-
sonal observation. I was just talking to my
mock and threaten the basic principles upon
million will be
good friend George Klein, and others about
which the United States is founded. In a let-
S destroyed at
this, but I want to express my concerns for
ter to the Hebrew congregation of Rhode Is-
a good friend of everybody in this room, and
land, George Washington wrote,
the
nat the legisla-
that is Max Fisher, who was to be with us
government of the United States
gives
re provided be
today, regrettably is in the hospital. I talked
to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no as-
"in order that
to him, and I'm sure he'll be just fine. That
sistance
While everyone shall sit in
lelay in provid-
spirit, that Max Fisher spirit and optimism
safety under his own vine and fig tree, and
ster areas."
is still just as wonderful as you can possibly
there shall be none to make him afraid." And
d all of the re-
imagine and hope for.
here's the difference, the vital difference that
ontingency re-
Now, we have witnessed, and Rudy talked
sets apart our American creed. For us, free-
propriations to
about this, a world of change. And with
dom of religion is no gift of Government,
as emergency
change comes new challenges. For America,
no privilege to be granted or withheld. It is
the Balanced
the end of the cold war means the beginning
a fundamental human right.
cit Control Act
of a new era, a new era of economic competi-
We can take heart that this American
tion that America simply must and will win.
creed is spreading, that people in our time
are described
In the new world, foreign policy, economic
are demanding and getting those rights that
policy, and domestic policy have become one
they've been denied so long. Changes in our
issue. And in order to prevail, the United
world have come so fast that I say they are
nent were de-
States must be not only a military super-
nothing short of Biblical, and by that I mean
3' specific pro-
power but an export superpower and an eco-
just plain old-fashioned miraculous. Just
hat material is
nomic superpower as well.
think about it. Just a few years ago, who
Publication Of-
Yet we know that America is measured by
would have thought we would no longer live
more than the strength of our economy, also
under that horrible threat of nuclear con-
by the content of our character and how we
flagration? Who would have thought the
serve others. And this willingness to reach
scarring symbol of an era, the divisive Berlin
out, to help those in need, to recognize across
Wall, would be found only in museums or
and-Answer
all the divides of color and culture and creed
chipped into paperweights? And above all,
our shared human spirit, this is what B'nai
who would have predicted the Soviet Union
B'rith is all about. For 150 years, the mem-
would be found only in the pages of history?
bers of this organization have joined a hand-
And know this: The miracles aren't only
ful of other organizations serving as the Na-
confined to Europe. In the Middle East,
you, Senator.
tion's conscience. And part of America's con-
events have defied all predictions. Today, di-
ase be seated,
science must always be to fight anti-Semitism
rect bilateral talks are taking place between
say what a joy
and other forms of prejudice wherever and
Israel and her neighbors. You may recall that
y Rudy Bosch-
whenever they appear. I wish very much, as
we were told we couldn't succeed, we
him. He is my
President, that I could stand before you and
couldn't bring the parties together. But we
t some of those
today say that anti-Semitism is history. It's
did. And I want to dwell for a moment on
it was awfully
not, not when there are hate crimes here at
this breakthrough, because I know it matters
others, to ask
home, brownshirts abroad. That's a sorry
deeply to everyone in this hall. Let me take
his most pres-
commentary on human nature.
you back nearly a year ago to another hall
thank you for
Let's all be clear: A world willing to allow
in Madrid. There, gathered around the table,
nt, thank you,
Jews to be persecuted is a world certain to
were representatives of Lebanon, Jordan,
is an extraor-
allow other tyrannies to emerge. But we're
Syria, Egypt, Palestinians, and Israel. For
getting under-
not helpless. And we're doing something
nearly half a century they had not met all
r Shoval, with
about it. In this country, we are aggressively
together outside the battlefield. But for the
losely, Israel's
employing the Hate Crimes Act to bring to
first time they came together not to fight but
d States. And
justice those who traffic in the gutter. Anti-
to talk. I'll never forget as long as I live walk-
adership who
Semitism is an evil idea with an ugly history.
ing into the meeting room. Then-President
me here. And
And I'll do my utmost, here and abroad, so
Gorbachev was at my side. We were the ones
to be with you
that prejudice is finally, finally, finally ban-
that were to open the meeting; you may re-
ished from the human heart.
member that. And you could cut the tension
B'NAI B'RITH
WASHINGTON, D.C.
SEPTEMBER 8, 1992
11:00 A.M.
THANK YOU, RUDY, FOR THAT VERY KIND INTRODUCTION.
KENT SCHINER. AMBASSADOR SHOVAL. THE B'NAI B'RITH
LEADERSHIP. TO EVERYONE. IT IS AN HONOR TO BE WITH
YOU TODAY. AND LET ME EXPRESS MY CONCERNS FOR MY GOOD
FRIEND MAX FISHER, WHO WAS TO BE WITH US TODAY
WE'VE WITNESSED A WORLD OF CHANGE, AND WITH CHANGE
COMES NEW CHALLENGES. FOR AMERICA, THE END OF THE COLD
WAR MEANS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA -- -- A NEW ERA OF
ECONOMIC COMPETITION THAT AMERICA SIMPLY MUST AND WILL
WIN. IN THE NEW WORLD, FOREIGN POLICY, ECONOMIC POLICY
AND DOMESTIC POLICY HAVE BECOME ONE ISSUE. IN ORDER TO
PREVAIL, THE UNITED STATES MUST BE NOT ONLY A MILITARY
SUPERPOWER, BUT AN ECONOMIC SUPERPOWER -- AN EXPORT
SUPERPOWER AS WELL. //
YET WE KNOW THAT AMERICA IS MEASURED BY MORE THAN
THE STRENGTH OF OUR ECONOMY, BUT ALSO BY THE CONTENT OF
OUR CHARACTER -- HOW WE SERVE OTHERS.
- 2 -
THIS WILLINGNESS TO REACH OUT, TO HELP THOSE IN
NEED -- TO RECOGNIZE ACROSS ALL THE DIVIDES OF COLOR
AND CULTURE AND CREED OUR SHARED HUMAN SPIRIT -- THIS
IS WHAT B'NAI B'RITH IS ALL ABOUT. FOR 150 YEARS, THE
MEMBERS OF THIS ORGANIZATION, HAVE JOINED A HANDFUL OF
OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SERVING AS THE NATION'S CONSCIENCE.
AND PART OF AMERICA'S CONSCIENCE MUST ALWAYS BE TO
FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM AND OTHER FORMS OF PREJUDICE
WHEREVER AND WHENEVER THEY APPEAR.
I WISH THAT I COULD STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY AND SAY
THAT ANTI-SEMITISM IS HISTORY, BUT IT IS NOT. NOT WHEN
THERE ARE HATE CRIMES HERE AT HOME AND BROWN SHIRTS
ABROAD. THAT'S A SORRY COMMENTARY ON HUMAN NATURE.
- 3 -
LET'S ALL BE CLEAR: A WORLD WILLING TO ALLOW JEWS
TO BE PERSECUTED IS A WORLD CERTAIN TO ALLOW OTHER
TYRANNIES TO EMERGE. BUT WE'RE NOT HELPLESS. AND
WE'RE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT. // IN THIS COUNTRY, WE
ARE AGGRESSIVELY EMPLOYING THE HATE CRIMES ACT TO BRING
TO JUSTICE THOSE WHO TRAFFIC IN THE GUTTER. / ANTI-
SEMITISM IS AN EVIL IDEA WITH AN UGLY HISTORY. / I
WILL CONTINUE TO DO MY UTMOST, HERE AND ABROAD, so THAT
PREJUDICE IS FINALLY / FINALLY / FINALLY, BANISHED FROM
THE HUMAN HEART. //
IN THE END, ANTI-SEMITISM AND PREJUDICE MOCK AND
THREATEN THE BASIC PRINCIPLES UPON WHICH THE UNITED
STATES IS FOUNDED.
- 4 -
IN A LETTER TO THE HEBREW CONGREGATION OF RHODE
ISLAND, GEORGE WASHINGTON WROTE " THE GOVERNMENT OF
THE UNITED STATES... GIVES TO BIGOTRY NO SANCTION, TO
PERSECUTION NO ASSISTANCE. WHILE EVERYONE SHALL SIT
IN SAFETY UNDER HIS OWN VINE AND FIGTREE, AND THERE
SHALL BE NONE TO MAKE HIM AFRAID." AND HERE'S THE
DIFFERENCE, THE VITAL DIFFERENCE THAT SETS APART OUR
AMERICAN CREED. FOR US, FREEDOM OF RELIGION IS NO GIFT
OF GOVERNMENT - -- NO PRIVILEGE TO BE GRANTED OR WITHHELD
-- IT IS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT. //
LET'S TAKE HEART THAT THIS AMERICAN CREED IS
SPREADING, THAT PEOPLE IN OUR TIME ARE DEMANDING AND
GETTING THOSE RIGHTS THEY HAVE BEEN DENIED so LONG.
AND CHANGES IN OUR WORLD HAVE COME so FAST THAT I SAY
THEY ARE NOTHING SHORT OF BIBLICAL -- AND BY THAT I
MEAN JUST PLAIN OLD-FASHIONED MIRACULOUS.
- 5 -
JUST THINK ABOUT IT. JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, WHO
WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WE WOULD NO LONGER LIVE UNDER THE
THREAT OF NUCLEAR CONFLAGRATION? WHO WOULD HAVE
THOUGHT THE SCARRING SYMBOL OF AN ERA -- THE BERLIN
WALL -- WOULD BE FOUND ONLY IN MUSEUMS AND CHIPPED INTO
PAPERWEIGHTS? ABOVE ALL, WHO WOULD HAVE PREDICTED THE
SOVIET UNION WOULD BE FOUND ONLY IN THE PAGES OF
HISTORY?
AND KNOW THIS: THE MIRACLES AREN'T ONLY CONFINED
TO EUROPE. IN THE MIDDLE EAST, EVENTS HAVE DEFIED ALL
THE PREDICTIONS. TODAY, DIRECT, BILATERAL TALKS ARE
TAKING PLACE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HER NEIGHBORS.
YOU MAY RECALL WE WERE TOLD WE COULDN'T SUCCEED --
WE COULDN'T BRING THE PARTIES TOGETHER. BUT WE DID.
- 6 -
I WANT TO DWELL FOR A MOMENT ON THIS BREAKTHROUGH,
BECAUSE I KNOW IT MATTERS DEEPLY TO EVERYONE IN THIS
HALL. LET ME TAKE YOU BACK NEARLY A YEAR AGO TO
ANOTHER HALL, IN MADRID. THERE, GATHERED AROUND THE
TABLE WERE REPRESENTATIVES OF LEBANON, JORDAN, SYRIA,
EGYPT, PALESTINIANS -- AND ISRAEL. FOR NEARLY HALF A
CENTURY THEY HAD NOT MET, ALL TOGETHER, OUTSIDE THE
BATTLEFIELD. BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME THEY CAME TOGETHER
NOT TO FIGHT - -- BUT TO TALK.
I'LL NEVER FORGET WALKING INTO THE MEETING ROOM --
THEN PRESIDENT GORBACHEV AT MY SIDE. YOU COULD CUT
THE TENSION WITH A KNIFE, BUT WHEN GORBACHEV AND I
SPOKE AFTERWARDS WE BOTH AGREED IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST
DRAMATIC MOMENTS IN RECENT HISTORY.
- 7 -
THEN, AS NOW, THE GOAL IS NOT JUST A CEASEFIRE OR A
TRUCE, BUT PEACE, REAL PEACE. NOT SIMPLY THE END OF
WAR -- BUT GENUINE RECONCILIATION. A PEACE BOTH BROAD
AND DEEP, A PEACE CODIFIED BY TREATIES, AND GIVEN LIFE
BY TRADE AND TOURISM, BY OPEN BORDERS - -- THE FABRIC OF
PEACE KNIT TOGETHER EVEN MORE TIGHTLY BY THE SIMPLE
HUMAN CONTACT OF PEOPLES WHO'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FAR
TOO LONG AS ENEMIES. A COMPREHENSIVE PEACE, BASED ON
SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS 242 AND 338. A PEACE THAT
AT LONG LAST WILL ALLOW THE PEOPLES OF THE MIDDLE EAST
TO TURN THEIR ENERGIES, THEIR RESOURCES, THEIR LIVES TO
CREATION RATHER THAN DESTRUCTION - -- TO GREAT WORKS
RATHER THAN GREAT WARS.
TODAY, AS WE SPEAK, PARTIES THAT MET FIRST AT
MADRID ARE MID-WAY THROUGH THE SIXTH ROUND OF BILATERAL
NEGOTIATIONS. THERE HAS BEEN PROGRESS. DELEGATIONS
ARE EXCHANGING NOT ONLY HANDSHAKES, BUT FOR THE FIRST
TIME -- WRITTEN PROPOSALS. PUBLIC POSTURING HAS
DECREASED - -- AND MEANINGFUL PRIVATE DIALOGUE HAS
INCREASED.
- 8 -
OF COURSE, MAJOR HURDLES REMAIN. IT WILL TAKE TIME
AND EFFORT AND COURAGE AND TRUST. BUT THERE IS CLEARLY
A WAY -- AND INCREASINGLY, A WILL.
THE EVIDENCE IS MOUNTING: THE MANY POSITIVE STEPS
TAKEN BY ISRAEL'S NEW GOVERNMENT THAT IMPROVE DAY-TO-
DAY LIFE FOR PALESTINIANS AND SIGNAL ITS SERIOUSNESS
ABOUT PEACE -- EGYPT'S INVITATION THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE
FOR PRIME MINISTER RABIN TO MAKE HIS FIRST TRIP OUTSIDE
ISRAEL TO AN ARAB COUNTRY - -- SYRIA'S RELAXATION OF
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS AFFECTING ITS JEWISH CITIZENS.
FURTHER GESTURES, SUCH AS AN END TO THE ARAB BOYCOTT OF
ISRAEL, CAN ONLY HELP IN BRINGING ABOUT AN ENVIRONMENT
CONDUCIVE FOR NEGOTIATION AND RECONCILIATION. I THINK
IT'S HIGH TIME TO SEE THAT BOYCOTT ENDED. //
- 9 -
I AM PROUD OF THE ROLE WE'VE PLAYED IN BREAKING THE
LONG-STANDING TABOO AGAINST DIRECT TALKS BETWEEN ISRAEL
AND HER NEIGHBORS. ISRAEL SOUGHT DIRECT TALKS FOR 43
YEARS -- AND IT WAS RIGHT TO DO so. IF YOU DO NOT TALK
-- YOU CAN HAVE NO HOPE OF MAKING PEACE. NOW, THERE IS
SUCH A HOPE.
I'M ALSO PROUD OF WHAT WE HAVE DONE TO END ISRAEL'S
DIPLOMATIC ISOLATION INTERNATIONALLY. WE FINALLY
SUCCEEDED - AFTER 16 YEARS OF EFFORT - -- IN GETTING THE
UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO REPEAL WHAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE
BEEN ENACTED IN THE FIRST PLACE. ZIONISM IS NOT
RACISM - NOT BEFORE / NOT NOW / NOT EVER. //
AND THANKS IN LARGE PART TO OUR EFFORTS, CHINA AND
INDIA AND TURKEY AND MANY OTHER NATIONS -- COUNTRIES
REPRESENTING MORE THAN 2 BILLION PEOPLE - -- NOW HAVE
FULL DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL. ALREADY THIS
HAS CREATED NOT ONLY GREATER CONTACT FOR ISRAEL
WORLDWIDE, BUT NEW ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.
- 10 -
AND I KNOW THIS AUDIENCE KNOWS OF OUR EFFORTS TO
OPEN THE GATES TO JEWS IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION AND
ALSO TO RESCUE ETHIOPIAN JEWS.
YOU KNOW, FOUR YEARS AGO WHEN I SPOKE TO YOU IN
BALTIMORE, I NOTICED A BANNER HUNG ON THE WALL THAT
READ: WHERE DO SOVIET JEWS APPLY FOR GLASNOST?
AS I PREPARED TO COME HERE TODAY, I THOUGHT OF THAT
BANNER. I THOUGHT OF THE HOPES WE HAD THEN -- AND I
THOUGHT OF A PLEDGE I MADE: THAT IN EVERY SINGLE
MEETING WITH SOVIET OFFICIALS, I WOULD RAISE THE ISSUE
OF SOVIET JEWS. //
MY FRIENDS, I COULD NOT FORGET THAT BANNER -- I DID
NOT FORGET THAT PLEDGE -- AND TODAY, TOGETHER, WE
CELEBRATE THIS MIRACLE: NEARLY HALF A MILLION JEWS
HAVE COME OUT OF THE SOVIET UNION -- TO FREEDOM. TO
AMERICA. TO ISRAEL. //
- 11 -
PERSUADING PARTIES TO SIT DOWN FACE-TO-FACE TO TALK
PEACE / ENDING ISRAEL'S INTERNATIONAL ISOLATION /
ASSISTING IN THE IN-GATHERING OF JEWS INTO ISRAEL:
THESE ARE THE THREE GREAT AIMS THAT HAVE GUIDED ISRAEL
FROM ITS FOUNDING. AND WE DIDN'T JUST TALK ABOUT
HELPING ISRAEL IN THESE AREAS -- WE DELIVERED. THAT'S
A FACT OF WHICH EVERY AMERICAN CAN BE PROUD.
AND HERE'S ANOTHER FACT. WHEN THE CHIPS WERE DOWN,
WHEN MANY COUNTRIES, INCLUDING ISRAEL, WERE THREATENED
BY THE MOST BRUTAL AGGRESSION, AMERICA WAS THERE. WE
STOPPED SADDAM HUSSEIN.
AND THAT TERRIBLE TIME WHEN THE WORLD FEARED THAT
THE COLD WAR WOULD BE REPLACED BY A NEW AGE OF SADDAM -
- THAT'S OVER, TOO.
- 12 -
I KNEW WHEN I TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE, THAT EVERY
PRESIDENT FACES DIFFICULT DECISIONS - -- AND THERE IS NO
DECISION MORE DIFFICULT THAN SENDING THIS COUNTRY'S
YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN INTO COMBAT. IN THE END, IT COMES
DOWN TO THIS: YOU CANNOT MAKE THAT KIND OF DECISION -
- UNLESS YOU ARE CERTAIN YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IS AT
STAKE.
I KNEW WHAT WAS AT STAKE.
AND BECAUSE OF THE BRAVERY OF AMERICA'S SONS AND
DAUGHTERS IN DESERT STORM -- AMERICA TODAY IS SAFER.
ISRAEL TODAY IS SAFER. //
ASK YOURSELF WHERE THE MIDDLE EAST WOULD BE TODAY -
- WHERE ISRAEL'S SECURITY WOULD BE TODAY -- IF WE HAD
FOLLOWED THE COUNSEL OF MY CRITICS.
ASK YOURSELF WHERE WE WOULD BE IF WE HAD SOMEONE IN
THE OVAL OFFICE WHO WOULD HAVE WAFFLED -- WHO WOULD
HAVE WAVERED AND WANTED TO HAVE IT BOTH WAYS.
- 13 -
LISTEN TO MY OPPONENT'S VERY OWN WORDS ON WHETHER
HE WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED MY LEAD, AND DRAWN A LINE IN THE
SAND: -- AND I QUOTE -- "I GUESS I WOULD HAVE VOTED
WITH THE MAJORITY IF IT WAS A CLOSE VOTE. BUT I AGREE
WITH THE ARGUMENTS THE MINORITY MADE."
WHERE WOULD WE BE? I'LL TELL YOU: WE'D BE FACING
A NUCLEAR-ARMED IRAQ, DOMINANT IN THE MIDDLE EAST, WITH
A CHOKE-HOLD ON THE WORLD'S OIL SUPPLIES. AN IRAQ THAT
SHOWED THAT AGGRESSION AGAINST ONE'S NEIGHBORS CAN GO
UNCHECKED. AN IRAQ THREATENING ISRAEL'S VERY
EXISTENCE. ISRAEL'S VERY SURVIVAL WOULD BE AT STAKE -
- AND WE'D BE TALKING ABOUT WHETHER THERE WAS ANY
CHANCE TO AVOID NUCLEAR ARMAGEDDON IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
WELL, DESERT STORM SWEPT AWAY THAT NIGHTMARE AND
BECAUSE OF AMERICA'S COURAGE TODAY, WE NOW HAVE THE
CHANCE TO SEE THE DAWN OF PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
- 14 -
THERE IS STILL WORK TO BE DONE. THE MIDDLE EAST -
- INDEED, THE WORLD -- IS STILL A DANGEROUS PLACE.
TERRORISTS CONTINUE TO TARGET THE INNOCENT. THE
PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION CASTS A
CLOUD OVER THE REGION'S FUTURE. IRAQ'S SADDAM HUSSEIN,
HOWEVER MUCH WEAKER, DEFEATED, AND LOCKED IN THE PRISON
OF HIS OWN COUNTRY -- STILL BRUTALIZES HIS OWN PEOPLE
AND RESISTS THE WILL OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
THE NEED FOR ISRAEL TO REMAIN STRONG IS BEYOND
QUESTION, AND IT CLEARLY INCLUDES HAVING A DEFENSIVE
CAPABILITY AGAINST MISSILE ATTACK. SCUD ATTACKS ON
ISRAEL SHOULD HAVE MADE THAT CLEAR TO EVERYONE. FOR
THAT REASON, I'VE PROPOSED TO ISRAEL THAT IT
PARTICIPATE IN OUR DEVELOPMENT OF A GLOBAL PROTECTION
SYSTEM. //
- 15 -
AND LET ME SAY TO YOU: YOU OUGHT TO TAKE A GOOD,
CLOSE LOOK AT ANYONE WHO CLAIMS TO BE A FRIEND OF
ISRAEL AT ANYONE WHO CLAIMS TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT
ISRAEL'S SECURITY - -- BUT OPPOSES DEVELOPMENT OF THE
DEFENSES LIKE GPALS THAT MAY BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY
FOR ISRAEL TO DEFEND ITSELF AGAINST MISSILE ATTACK? //
THE POINT IS: THE NEED FOR US-ISRAELI STRATEGIC
PARTNERSHIP AND COOPERATION REMAINS AS STRONG AS EVER.
AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO SEE THAT PARTNERSHIP AT
WORK THIS WEEK. BECAUSE I AM HAPPY TO TELL YOU THAT I
AM SENDING TO THE CONGRESS LEGISLATION REQUESTING UP TO
$10 BILLION IN LOAN GUARANTEES TO AID ISRAEL'S
GOVERNMENT IN WELCOMING ITS IMMIGRANTS. AND I KNOW I
CAN COUNT ON THE SUPPORT OF EVERY ONE IN THIS ROOM TO
MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROPOSAL BECOMES LAW. / AND DON'T
LET ANY MEMBER OF CONGRESS TELL YOU WE CAN'T AFFORD TO
DO THIS. WE CAN -- AND WE MUST. //
- 16 -
AND TODAY, I ASK YOU: TAKE THAT MESSAGE TO CAPITOL
HILL.
I AM GLAD THAT PRIME MINISTER RABIN AND I WERE ABLE
TO REACH AN UNDERSTANDING ON LOAN GUARANTEES WHEN WE
MET IN KENNEBUNKPORT LAST MONTH. HE OUTLINED FOR ME
THE NEW ISRAELI GOVERNMENT'S NEW PRIORITIES, COMMITTED
TO INVESTING IN ISRAEL ITSELF, AND STOOD DETERMINED TO
AVOID STEPS THAT COULD HAMPER PROGRESS TOWARD PEACE. I
SHARE THAT COMMITMENT. AND, AS A RESULT, WE WILL BE
ABLE TO PROMOTE PEACE AND WELCOME NEW IMMIGRANTS AT ONE
AND THE SAME TIME. BOTH ARE HUMANITARIAN UNDERTAKINGS;
BOTH DESERVE OUR FULL SUPPORT. IT WAS IMPORTANT NOT TO
CHOOSE BETWEEN THEM, AND I AM GLAD THAT WE ARE NOW IN A
POSITION TO PROMOTE BOTH OBJECTIVES.
- 17 -
AS FOR THE FUTURE, I AM CONFIDENT THAT ON MOST
ISSUES, ON MOST OCCASIONS, WE AND ISRAEL WILL FIND
OURSELVES IN AGREEMENT. I, FOR ONE, AM COMMITTED TO
REVITALIZING THE TRADITION OF FULL CONSULTATIONS
BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL ON THE ENTIRE
RANGE OF ISSUES AFFECTING STABILITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
I KNOW PRIME MINISTER RABIN SHARES THIS COMMITMENT.
AND LET ME EMPHASIZE THIS POINT: THERE WILL BE NO
SURPRISES.
OUR SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL AND ITS SECURITY IS NOT
SIMPLY A POLICY. IT IS A PRINCIPLE. AS I SAID AFTER
PRIME MINISTER RABIN AND I MET IN MAINE, THIS IS A
RELATIONSHIP BASED ON A SHARED COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRACY
AND COMMON VALUES, AS WELL AS A SOLID COMMITMENT TO
ISRAEL'S SECURITY, INCLUDING ITS QUALITATIVE MILITARY
EDGE. THIS IS A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP, ONE SPECIALLY
BUILT TO ENDURE.
- 18 -
THIS RELATIONSHIP IS IMPORTANT -- ESPECIALLY NOW,
AS WE ENTER A NEW ERA OF UNCERTAINTY. OLD EMPIRES ARE
DYING AND NEW NATIONS BEING BORN. THIS IS A TIME WHEN
A NATION NEEDS TO KNOW WHO IT CAN COUNT ON. ISRAEL HAS
A STABILITY OF PURPOSE -- A STRENGTH OF SPIRIT THAT HAS
SEEN IT THROUGH DARK DAYS. WE KNOW: ISRAEL WILL BE
THERE FOR US. JUST AS WE WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR
ISRAEL. //
NO DOUBT THERE WILL BE TIMES WHEN WE DISAGREE.
EVEN FRIENDS DISAGREE. AMERICA WILL HAVE DISAGREEMENTS
WITH ISRAEL -- JUST AS WE SOMETIMES DISAGREE WITH
CANADA AND FRANCE AND GERMANY AND BRITAIN. THOSE
DIFFERENCES ARE SIGNS OF THE DURABILITY OF OUR
RELATIONSHIP -- OF THE DEMOCRATIC BONDS WE SHARE. THE
POINT IS THIS: THESE ARE DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN FRIENDS
AND I EMPHASIZE THAT WORD, FRIENDS.
- 19 -
THERE MAY EVEN BE ISSUES WHERE YOU AND I WILL TAKE
OPPOSING SIDES. AND THINGS MAY GET HOT AND WORDS MAY
BE EXCHANGED. // IN THE PAST, SOME REMARKS OF MINE
WERE MISINTERPRETED. I HAVE GONE ON THE RECORD
EXPRESSING MY REGRET FOR ANY PAIN THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED.
AGAIN I MAKE IT CLEAR, I SUPPORT, I ENDORSE, AND I
DEEPLY BELIEVE IN THE GOD-GIVEN RIGHT OF EVERY AMERICAN
TO PROMOTE WHAT THEY BELIEVE. IT IS YOUR RIGHT AS AN
INDIVIDUAL. IT'S MORE THAN A RIGHT. IT'S YOUR DUTY AS
AN AMERICAN CITIZEN. / /
BUT LET ME ALSO SAY THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE
LEARN HOW TO DISAGREE. THE WAY DEMOCRACIES ENGAGE IN
DEBATE IS NOT WITHOUT CONSEQUENCE IT IS A MARK OF
CIVILITY AND FREEDOM. I HARDLY NEED TO TELL ANYONE IN
THIS ROOM JUST WHAT ANTI-SEMITISM IS. AS MY FRIEND ABE
FOXMAN OF THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE HAS POINTED OUT,
TO ACCUSE THOSE WHO MAY COME TO DIFFERENT CONCLUSIONS
ON ONE OR ANOTHER PUBLIC ISSUE OF HARBORING ANTI-
SEMITISM IS TO CHEAPEN THE TERM. THAT IS DANGEROUS.
THAT IS DEEPLY WRONG. AND WHEN THOSE WORDS, WITHOUT
JUSTICE, HAVE BEEN AIMED AT ME -- I CAN TELL YOU: THEY
CUT TO THE HEART. //
- 20 -
BUT LET'S PUT ALL OF THIS ASIDE NOW AND LOOK TO THE
FUTURE. I'VE TALKED TO YOU HERE ABOUT MY OPTIMISM FOR
THAT FUTURE. WE COME TOGETHER AT A BLESSED TIME. THE
COLD WAR IS OVER. AND ARAB-ISRAELI PEACE TALKS HAVE
BEGUN.
THERE IS ANOTHER REASON TO BE OPTIMISTIC. THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL SOON EXERCISE THEIR UNBROKEN TWO
HUNDRED YEAR DEMOCRATIC RIGHT TO ELECT A PRESIDENT.
AND I'M OPTIMISTIC TOO ABOUT THE IDENTITY OF THAT NEW
PRESIDENT -- THERE I GO AGAIN SOUNDING LIKE HARRY
TRUMAN. / BUT, LET ME LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. HOWEVER
IT TURNS OUT, COMMITMENT TO FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY, TO
TOLERANCE AND OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA AND AROUND THE
WORLD WILL NOT CHANGE.
YOU ARE MEMBERS OF A COMMUNITY THAT HAS A LONG AND
GREAT TRADITION OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION. B'NAI
B'RITH STANDS FOR OPPORTUNITY, FOR TOLERANCE, FOR
OPPOSITION TO ANTI-SEMITISM AND THE UGLY FACE OF HATE
IN ALL ITS FORMS. YOU STAND TOO FOR STALWART SUPPORT
FOR AMERICA'S CLOSE FRIEND AND ALLY, ISRAEL.
- 21 -
AND, LET ME SIMPLY SAY THAT ON ALL THESE ISSUES, I
AM PROUD TO STAND WITH YOU. //
THANK YOU. MAY GOD BLESS THE STATE OF ISRAEL --
AND MAY GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
# # #
B'NAI B'RITH
WASHINGTON, D.C.
SEPTEMBER 8, 1992
11:00 A.M.
THANK YOU, RUDY, FOR THAT VERY KIND INTRODUCTION.
KENT SCHINER. AMBASSADOR SHOVAL. THE B'NAI B'RITH
LEADERSHIP. TO EVERYONE. IT IS AN HONOR TO BE WITH
YOU TODAY. AND LET ME EXPRESS MY CONCERNS FOR MY GOOD
FRIEND MAX FISHER, WHO WAS TO BE WITH US TODAY
WE'VE WITNESSED A WORLD OF CHANGE, AND WITH CHANGE
COMES NEW CHALLENGES. FOR AMERICA, THE END OF THE COLD
WAR MEANS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA -- A NEW ERA OF
ECONOMIC COMPETITION THAT AMERICA SIMPLY MUST AND WILL
WIN. IN THE NEW WORLD, FOREIGN POLICY, ECONOMIC POLICY
AND DOMESTIC POLICY HAVE BECOME ONE ISSUE. IN ORDER TO
PREVAIL, THE UNITED STATES MUST BE NOT ONLY A MILITARY
SUPERPOWER, BUT AN ECONOMIC SUPERPOWER -- AN EXPORT
SUPERPOWER AS WELL. //
YET WE KNOW THAT AMERICA IS MEASURED BY MORE THAN
THE STRENGTH OF OUR ECONOMY, BUT ALSO BY THE CONTENT OF
OUR CHARACTER -- HOW WE SERVE OTHERS.
- 2 -
THIS WILLINGNESS TO REACH OUT, TO HELP THOSE IN
NEED -- TO RECOGNIZE ACROSS ALL THE DIVIDES OF COLOR
AND CULTURE AND CREED OUR SHARED HUMAN SPIRIT -- THIS
IS WHAT B'NAI B'RITH IS ALL ABOUT. FOR 150 YEARS, THE
MEMBERS OF THIS ORGANIZATION, HAVE JOINED A HANDFUL OF
OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SERVING AS THE NATION'S CONSCIENCE.
AND PART OF AMERICA'S CONSCIENCE MUST ALWAYS BE TO
FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM AND OTHER FORMS OF PREJUDICE
WHEREVER AND WHENEVER THEY APPEAR.
I WISH THAT I COULD STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY AND SAY
THAT ANTI-SEMITISM IS HISTORY, BUT IT IS NOT. NOT WHEN
THERE ARE HATE CRIMES HERE AT HOME AND BROWN SHIRTS
ABROAD. THAT'S A SORRY COMMENTARY ON HUMAN NATURE.
- 3 -
LET'S ALL BE CLEAR: A WORLD WILLING TO ALLOW JEWS
TO BE PERSECUTED IS A WORLD CERTAIN TO ALLOW OTHER
TYRANNIES TO EMERGE. BUT WE'RE NOT HELPLESS. AND
WE'RE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT. // IN THIS COUNTRY, WE
ARE AGGRESSIVELY EMPLOYING THE HATE CRIMES ACT TO BRING
TO JUSTICE THOSE WHO TRAFFIC IN THE GUTTER. / ANTI-
SEMITISM IS AN EVIL IDEA WITH AN UGLY HISTORY. / I
WILL CONTINUE TO DO MY UTMOST, HERE AND ABROAD, so THAT
PREJUDICE IS FINALLY / FINALLY / FINALLY, BANISHED FROM
THE HUMAN HEART. //
IN THE END, ANTI-SEMITISM AND PREJUDICE MOCK AND
THREATEN THE BASIC PRINCIPLES UPON WHICH THE UNITED
STATES IS FOUNDED.
- 4 -
IN A LETTER TO THE HEBREW CONGREGATION OF RHODE
ISLAND, GEORGE WASHINGTON WROTE " THE GOVERNMENT OF
THE UNITED STATES... GIVES TO BIGOTRY NO SANCTION, TO
PERSECUTION NO ASSISTANCE. WHILE EVERYONE SHALL SIT
IN SAFETY UNDER HIS OWN VINE AND FIGTREE, AND THERE
SHALL BE NONE TO MAKE HIM AFRAID." AND HERE'S THE
DIFFERENCE, THE VITAL DIFFERENCE THAT SETS APART OUR
AMERICAN CREED. FOR US, FREEDOM OF RELIGION IS NO GIFT
OF GOVERNMENT -- NO PRIVILEGE TO BE GRANTED OR WITHHELD
-- IT IS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT. //
LET'S TAKE HEART THAT THIS AMERICAN CREED IS
SPREADING, THAT PEOPLE IN OUR TIME ARE DEMANDING AND
GETTING THOSE RIGHTS THEY HAVE BEEN DENIED so LONG.
AND CHANGES IN OUR WORLD HAVE COME so FAST THAT I SAY
THEY ARE NOTHING SHORT OF BIBLICAL - -- AND BY THAT I
MEAN JUST PLAIN OLD-FASHIONED MIRACULOUS.
- 5 -
JUST THINK ABOUT IT. JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, WHO
WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WE WOULD NO LONGER LIVE UNDER THE
THREAT OF NUCLEAR CONFLAGRATION? WHO WOULD HAVE
THOUGHT THE SCARRING SYMBOL OF AN ERA -- -- THE BERLIN
WALL -- WOULD BE FOUND ONLY IN MUSEUMS AND CHIPPED INTO
PAPERWEIGHTS? ABOVE ALL, WHO WOULD HAVE PREDICTED THE
SOVIET UNION WOULD BE FOUND ONLY IN THE PAGES OF
HISTORY?
AND KNOW THIS: THE MIRACLES AREN'T ONLY CONFINED
TO EUROPE. IN THE MIDDLE EAST, EVENTS HAVE DEFIED ALL
THE PREDICTIONS. TODAY, DIRECT, BILATERAL TALKS ARE
TAKING PLACE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HER NEIGHBORS.
YOU MAY RECALL WE WERE TOLD WE COULDN'T SUCCEED --
WE COULDN'T BRING THE PARTIES TOGETHER. BUT WE DID.
- 6 -
I WANT TO DWELL FOR A MOMENT ON THIS BREAKTHROUGH,
BECAUSE I KNOW IT MATTERS DEEPLY TO EVERYONE IN THIS
HALL. LET ME TAKE YOU BACK NEARLY A YEAR AGO TO
ANOTHER HALL, IN MADRID. THERE, GATHERED AROUND THE
TABLE WERE REPRESENTATIVES OF LEBANON, JORDAN, SYRIA,
EGYPT, PALESTINIANS - -- AND ISRAEL. FOR NEARLY HALF A
CENTURY THEY HAD NOT MET, ALL TOGETHER, OUTSIDE THE
BATTLEFIELD. BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME THEY CAME TOGETHER
NOT TO FIGHT - BUT TO TALK.
I'LL NEVER FORGET WALKING INTO THE MEETING ROOM --
THEN PRESIDENT GORBACHEV AT MY SIDE. YOU COULD CUT
THE TENSION WITH A KNIFE, BUT WHEN GORBACHEV AND I
SPOKE AFTERWARDS WE BOTH AGREED IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST
DRAMATIC MOMENTS IN RECENT HISTORY.
- 7 -
THEN, AS NOW, THE GOAL IS NOT JUST A CEASEFIRE OR A
TRUCE, BUT PEACE, REAL PEACE. NOT SIMPLY THE END OF
WAR -- BUT GENUINE RECONCILIATION. A PEACE BOTH BROAD
AND DEEP, A PEACE CODIFIED BY TREATIES, AND GIVEN LIFE
BY TRADE AND TOURISM, BY OPEN BORDERS - -- THE FABRIC OF
PEACE KNIT TOGETHER EVEN MORE TIGHTLY BY THE SIMPLE
HUMAN CONTACT OF PEOPLES WHO'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FAR
TOO LONG AS ENEMIES. A COMPREHENSIVE PEACE, BASED ON
SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS 242 AND 338. A PEACE THAT
AT LONG LAST WILL ALLOW THE PEOPLES OF THE MIDDLE EAST
TO TURN THEIR ENERGIES, THEIR RESOURCES, THEIR LIVES TO
CREATION RATHER THAN DESTRUCTION - -- TO GREAT WORKS
RATHER THAN GREAT WARS.
TODAY, AS WE SPEAK, PARTIES THAT MET FIRST AT
MADRID ARE MID-WAY THROUGH THE SIXTH ROUND OF BILATERAL
NEGOTIATIONS. THERE HAS BEEN PROGRESS. DELEGATIONS
ARE EXCHANGING NOT ONLY HANDSHAKES, BUT FOR THE FIRST
TIME - -- WRITTEN PROPOSALS. PUBLIC POSTURING HAS
DECREASED - -- AND MEANINGFUL PRIVATE DIALOGUE HAS
INCREASED.
- 8 -
OF COURSE, MAJOR HURDLES REMAIN. IT WILL TAKE TIME
AND EFFORT AND COURAGE AND TRUST. BUT THERE IS CLEARLY
A WAY -- AND INCREASINGLY, A WILL.
THE EVIDENCE IS MOUNTING: THE MANY POSITIVE STEPS
TAKEN BY ISRAEL'S NEW GOVERNMENT THAT IMPROVE DAY-TO-
DAY LIFE FOR PALESTINIANS AND SIGNAL ITS SERIOUSNESS
ABOUT PEACE - EGYPT'S INVITATION THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE
FOR PRIME MINISTER RABIN TO MAKE HIS FIRST TRIP OUTSIDE
ISRAEL TO AN ARAB COUNTRY - -- SYRIA'S RELAXATION OF
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS AFFECTING ITS JEWISH CITIZENS.
FURTHER GESTURES, SUCH AS AN END TO THE ARAB BOYCOTT OF
ISRAEL, CAN ONLY HELP IN BRINGING ABOUT AN ENVIRONMENT
CONDUCIVE FOR NEGOTIATION AND RECONCILIATION. I THINK
IT'S HIGH TIME TO SEE THAT BOYCOTT ENDED. //
- 9 -
I AM PROUD OF THE ROLE WE'VE PLAYED IN BREAKING THE
LONG-STANDING TABOO AGAINST DIRECT TALKS BETWEEN ISRAEL
AND HER NEIGHBORS. ISRAEL SOUGHT DIRECT TALKS FOR 43
YEARS -- -- AND IT WAS RIGHT TO DO so. IF YOU DO NOT TALK
-- YOU CAN HAVE NO HOPE OF MAKING PEACE. NOW, THERE IS
SUCH A HOPE.
I'M ALSO PROUD OF WHAT WE HAVE DONE TO END ISRAEL'S
DIPLOMATIC ISOLATION INTERNATIONALLY. WE FINALLY
SUCCEEDED - -- AFTER 16 YEARS OF EFFORT - -- IN GETTING THE
UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO REPEAL WHAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE
BEEN ENACTED IN THE FIRST PLACE. ZIONISM IS NOT
RACISM NOT BEFORE / NOT NOW / NOT EVER. //
AND THANKS IN LARGE PART TO OUR EFFORTS, CHINA AND
INDIA AND TURKEY AND MANY OTHER NATIONS - -- COUNTRIES
REPRESENTING MORE THAN 2 BILLION PEOPLE - -- NOW HAVE
FULL DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL. ALREADY THIS
HAS CREATED NOT ONLY GREATER CONTACT FOR ISRAEL
WORLDWIDE, BUT NEW ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.
- 10 -
AND I KNOW THIS AUDIENCE KNOWS OF OUR EFFORTS TO
OPEN THE GATES TO JEWS IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION AND
ALSO TO RESCUE ETHIOPIAN JEWS.
YOU KNOW, FOUR YEARS AGO WHEN I SPOKE TO YOU IN
BALTIMORE, I NOTICED A BANNER HUNG ON THE WALL THAT
READ: WHERE DO SOVIET JEWS APPLY FOR GLASNOST?
AS I PREPARED TO COME HERE TODAY, I THOUGHT OF THAT
BANNER. I THOUGHT OF THE HOPES WE HAD THEN AND I
THOUGHT OF A PLEDGE I MADE: THAT IN EVERY SINGLE
MEETING WITH SOVIET OFFICIALS, I WOULD RAISE THE ISSUE
OF SOVIET JEWS. //
MY FRIENDS, I COULD NOT FORGET THAT BANNER -- I DID
NOT FORGET THAT PLEDGE -- AND TODAY, TOGETHER, WE
CELEBRATE THIS MIRACLE: NEARLY HALF A MILLION JEWS
HAVE COME OUT OF THE SOVIET UNION -- TO FREEDOM. TO
AMERICA. TO ISRAEL. //
- 11 -
PERSUADING PARTIES TO SIT DOWN FACE-TO-FACE TO TALK
PEACE / ENDING ISRAEL'S INTERNATIONAL ISOLATION /
ASSISTING IN THE IN-GATHERING OF JEWS INTO ISRAEL:
THESE ARE THE THREE GREAT AIMS THAT HAVE GUIDED ISRAEL
FROM ITS FOUNDING. AND WE DIDN'T JUST TALK ABOUT
HELPING ISRAEL IN THESE AREAS -- WE DELIVERED. THAT'S
A FACT OF WHICH EVERY AMERICAN CAN BE PROUD.
AND HERE'S ANOTHER FACT. WHEN THE CHIPS WERE DOWN,
WHEN MANY COUNTRIES, INCLUDING ISRAEL, WERE THREATENED
BY THE MOST BRUTAL AGGRESSION, AMERICA WAS THERE. WE
STOPPED SADDAM HUSSEIN.
AND THAT TERRIBLE TIME WHEN THE WORLD FEARED THAT
THE COLD WAR WOULD BE REPLACED BY A NEW AGE OF SADDAM -
- THAT'S OVER, TOO.
- 12 -
I KNEW WHEN I TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE, THAT EVERY
PRESIDENT FACES DIFFICULT DECISIONS -- AND THERE IS NO
DECISION MORE DIFFICULT THAN SENDING THIS COUNTRY'S
YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN INTO COMBAT. IN THE END, IT COMES
DOWN TO THIS: YOU CANNOT MAKE THAT KIND OF DECISION -
- UNLESS YOU ARE CERTAIN YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IS AT
STAKE.
I KNEW WHAT WAS AT STAKE.
AND BECAUSE OF THE BRAVERY OF AMERICA'S SONS AND
DAUGHTERS IN DESERT STORM -- AMERICA TODAY IS SAFER.
ISRAEL TODAY IS SAFER. //
ASK YOURSELF WHERE THE MIDDLE EAST WOULD BE TODAY -
- WHERE ISRAEL'S SECURITY WOULD BE TODAY -- IF WE HAD
FOLLOWED THE COUNSEL OF MY CRITICS.
ASK YOURSELF WHERE WE WOULD BE IF WE HAD SOMEONE IN
THE OVAL OFFICE WHO WOULD HAVE WAFFLED -- WHO WOULD
HAVE WAVERED AND WANTED TO HAVE IT BOTH WAYS.
- 13 -
LISTEN TO MY OPPONENT'S VERY OWN WORDS ON WHETHER
HE WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED MY LEAD, AND DRAWN A LINE IN THE
SAND: -- AND I QUOTE -- "I GUESS I WOULD HAVE VOTED
WITH THE MAJORITY IF IT WAS A CLOSE VOTE. BUT I AGREE
WITH THE ARGUMENTS THE MINORITY MADE."
WHERE WOULD WE BE? I'LL TELL YOU: WE'D BE FACING
A NUCLEAR-ARMED IRAQ, DOMINANT IN THE MIDDLE EAST, WITH
A CHOKE-HOLD ON THE WORLD'S OIL SUPPLIES. AN IRAQ THAT
SHOWED THAT AGGRESSION AGAINST ONE'S NEIGHBORS CAN GO
UNCHECKED. AN IRAQ THREATENING ISRAEL'S VERY
EXISTENCE. ISRAEL'S VERY SURVIVAL WOULD BE AT STAKE -
- AND WE'D BE TALKING ABOUT WHETHER THERE WAS ANY
CHANCE TO AVOID NUCLEAR ARMAGEDDON IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
WELL, DESERT STORM SWEPT AWAY THAT NIGHTMARE AND
BECAUSE OF AMERICA'S COURAGE TODAY, WE NOW HAVE THE
CHANCE TO SEE THE DAWN OF PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
- 14 -
THERE IS STILL WORK TO BE DONE. THE MIDDLE EAST -
- INDEED, THE WORLD -- IS STILL A DANGEROUS PLACE.
TERRORISTS CONTINUE TO TARGET THE INNOCENT. THE
PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION CASTS A
CLOUD OVER THE REGION'S FUTURE. IRAQ'S SADDAM HUSSEIN,
HOWEVER MUCH WEAKER, DEFEATED, AND LOCKED IN THE PRISON
OF HIS OWN COUNTRY -- STILL BRUTALIZES HIS OWN PEOPLE
AND RESISTS THE WILL OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
THE NEED FOR ISRAEL TO REMAIN STRONG IS BEYOND
QUESTION, AND IT CLEARLY INCLUDES HAVING A DEFENSIVE
CAPABILITY AGAINST MISSILE ATTACK. SCUD ATTACKS ON
ISRAEL SHOULD HAVE MADE THAT CLEAR TO EVERYONE. FOR
THAT REASON, I'VE PROPOSED TO ISRAEL THAT IT
PARTICIPATE IN OUR DEVELOPMENT OF A GLOBAL PROTECTION
SYSTEM. //
- 15 -
AND LET ME SAY TO YOU: YOU OUGHT TO TAKE A GOOD,
CLOSE LOOK AT ANYONE WHO CLAIMS TO BE A FRIEND OF
ISRAEL AT ANYONE WHO CLAIMS TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT
ISRAEL'S SECURITY - -- BUT OPPOSES DEVELOPMENT OF THE
DEFENSES LIKE GPALS THAT MAY BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY
FOR ISRAEL TO DEFEND ITSELF AGAINST MISSILE ATTACK? //
THE POINT IS: THE NEED FOR US-ISRAELI STRATEGIC
PARTNERSHIP AND COOPERATION REMAINS AS STRONG AS EVER.
AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO SEE THAT PARTNERSHIP AT
WORK THIS WEEK. BECAUSE I AM HAPPY TO TELL YOU THAT I
AM SENDING TO THE CONGRESS LEGISLATION REQUESTING UP TO
$10 BILLION IN LOAN GUARANTEES TO AID ISRAEL'S
GOVERNMENT IN WELCOMING ITS IMMIGRANTS. AND I KNOW I
CAN COUNT ON THE SUPPORT OF EVERY ONE IN THIS ROOM TO
MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROPOSAL BECOMES LAW. / AND DON'T
LET ANY MEMBER OF CONGRESS TELL YOU WE CAN'T AFFORD TO
DO THIS. WE CAN -- AND WE MUST. //
- 16 -
AND TODAY, I ASK YOU: TAKE THAT MESSAGE TO CAPITOL
HILL.
I AM GLAD THAT PRIME MINISTER RABIN AND I WERE ABLE
TO REACH AN UNDERSTANDING ON LOAN GUARANTEES WHEN WE
MET IN KENNEBUNKPORT LAST MONTH. HE OUTLINED FOR ME
THE NEW ISRAELI GOVERNMENT'S NEW PRIORITIES, COMMITTED
TO INVESTING IN ISRAEL ITSELF, AND STOOD DETERMINED TO
AVOID STEPS THAT COULD HAMPER PROGRESS TOWARD PEACE. I
SHARE THAT COMMITMENT. AND, AS A RESULT, WE WILL BE
ABLE TO PROMOTE PEACE AND WELCOME NEW IMMIGRANTS AT ONE
AND THE SAME TIME. BOTH ARE HUMANITARIAN UNDERTAKINGS;
BOTH DESERVE OUR FULL SUPPORT. IT WAS IMPORTANT NOT TO
CHOOSE BETWEEN THEM, AND I AM GLAD THAT WE ARE NOW IN A
POSITION TO PROMOTE BOTH OBJECTIVES.
- 17 -
AS FOR THE FUTURE, I AM CONFIDENT THAT ON MOST
ISSUES, ON MOST OCCASIONS, WE AND ISRAEL WILL FIND
OURSELVES IN AGREEMENT. I, FOR ONE, AM COMMITTED TO
REVITALIZING THE TRADITION OF FULL CONSULTATIONS
BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL ON THE ENTIRE
RANGE OF ISSUES AFFECTING STABILITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
I KNOW PRIME MINISTER RABIN SHARES THIS COMMITMENT.
AND LET ME EMPHASIZE THIS POINT: THERE WILL BE NO
SURPRISES.
OUR SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL AND ITS SECURITY IS NOT
SIMPLY A POLICY. IT IS A PRINCIPLE. AS I SAID AFTER
PRIME MINISTER RABIN AND I MET IN MAINE, THIS IS A
RELATIONSHIP BASED ON A SHARED COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRACY
AND COMMON VALUES, AS WELL AS A SOLID COMMITMENT TO
ISRAEL'S SECURITY, INCLUDING ITS QUALITATIVE MILITARY
EDGE. THIS IS A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP, ONE SPECIALLY
BUILT TO ENDURE.
- 18 -
THIS RELATIONSHIP IS IMPORTANT -- ESPECIALLY NOW,
AS WE ENTER A NEW ERA OF UNCERTAINTY. OLD EMPIRES ARE
DYING AND NEW NATIONS BEING BORN. THIS IS A TIME WHEN
A NATION NEEDS TO KNOW WHO IT CAN COUNT ON. ISRAEL HAS
A STABILITY OF PURPOSE -- A STRENGTH OF SPIRIT THAT HAS
SEEN IT THROUGH DARK DAYS. WE KNOW: ISRAEL WILL BE
THERE FOR US. JUST AS WE WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR
ISRAEL. //
NO DOUBT THERE WILL BE TIMES WHEN WE DISAGREE.
EVEN FRIENDS DISAGREE. AMERICA WILL HAVE DISAGREEMENTS
WITH ISRAEL -- JUST AS WE SOMETIMES DISAGREE WITH
CANADA AND FRANCE AND GERMANY AND BRITAIN. THOSE
DIFFERENCES ARE SIGNS OF THE DURABILITY OF OUR
RELATIONSHIP -- OF THE DEMOCRATIC BONDS WE SHARE. THE
POINT IS THIS: THESE ARE DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN FRIENDS
AND I EMPHASIZE THAT WORD, FRIENDS.
- 19 -
THERE MAY EVEN BE ISSUES WHERE YOU AND I WILL TAKE
OPPOSING SIDES. AND THINGS MAY GET HOT AND WORDS MAY
BE EXCHANGED. // IN THE PAST, SOME REMARKS OF MINE
WERE MISINTERPRETED. I HAVE GONE ON THE RECORD
EXPRESSING MY REGRET FOR ANY PAIN THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED.
AGAIN I MAKE IT CLEAR, I SUPPORT, I ENDORSE, AND I
DEEPLY BELIEVE IN THE GOD-GIVEN RIGHT OF EVERY AMERICAN
TO PROMOTE WHAT THEY BELIEVE. IT IS YOUR RIGHT AS AN
INDIVIDUAL. IT'S MORE THAN A RIGHT. IT'S YOUR DUTY AS
AN AMERICAN CITIZEN. //
BUT LET ME ALSO SAY THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE
LEARN HOW TO DISAGREE. THE WAY DEMOCRACIES ENGAGE IN
DEBATE IS NOT WITHOUT CONSEQUENCE -- IT IS A MARK OF
CIVILITY AND FREEDOM. I HARDLY NEED TO TELL ANYONE IN
THIS ROOM JUST WHAT ANTI-SEMITISM IS. AS MY FRIEND ABE
FOXMAN OF THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE HAS POINTED OUT,
TO ACCUSE THOSE WHO MAY COME TO DIFFERENT CONCLUSIONS
ON ONE OR ANOTHER PUBLIC ISSUE OF HARBORING ANTI-
SEMITISM IS TO CHEAPEN THE TERM. THAT IS DANGEROUS.
THAT IS DEEPLY WRONG. AND WHEN THOSE WORDS, WITHOUT
JUSTICE, HAVE BEEN AIMED AT ME -- -- I CAN TELL YOU: THEY
CUT TO THE HEART. //
- 20 -
BUT LET'S PUT ALL OF THIS ASIDE NOW AND LOOK TO THE
FUTURE. I'VE TALKED TO YOU HERE ABOUT MY OPTIMISM FOR
THAT FUTURE. WE COME TOGETHER AT A BLESSED TIME. THE
COLD WAR IS OVER. AND ARAB-ISRAELI PEACE TALKS HAVE
BEGUN.
THERE IS ANOTHER REASON TO BE OPTIMISTIC. THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL SOON EXERCISE THEIR UNBROKEN TWO
HUNDRED YEAR DEMOCRATIC RIGHT TO ELECT A PRESIDENT.
AND I'M OPTIMISTIC TOO ABOUT THE IDENTITY OF THAT NEW
PRESIDENT -- THERE I GO AGAIN SOUNDING LIKE HARRY
TRUMAN. / BUT, LET ME LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. HOWEVER
IT TURNS OUT, COMMITMENT TO FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY, TO
TOLERANCE AND OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA AND AROUND THE
WORLD WILL NOT CHANGE.
YOU ARE MEMBERS OF A COMMUNITY THAT HAS A LONG AND
GREAT TRADITION OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION. B'NAI
B'RITH STANDS FOR OPPORTUNITY, FOR TOLERANCE, FOR
OPPOSITION TO ANTI-SEMITISM AND THE UGLY FACE OF HATE
IN ALL ITS FORMS. YOU STAND TOO FOR STALWART SUPPORT
FOR AMERICA'S CLOSE FRIEND AND ALLY, ISRAEL.
- 21 -
AND, LET ME SIMPLY SAY THAT ON ALL THESE ISSUES, I
AM PROUD TO STAND WITH YOU. //
THANK YOU. MAY GOD BLESS THE STATE OF ISRAEL --
AND MAY GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
# # #
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 7, 1992
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
THROUGH:
STEVE PROVOST
FROM:
DAN MC GROARTY our
SUBJECT:
B'NAI B'RITH INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
I. Summary
On Tuesday, September 8, at 11:25 a.m., you will deliver
remarks to approximately 1500 people gathered at the Sheraton
Washington Hotel for the B'Nai B'rith 150th International
Convention.
II. Discussion
Your remarks (22 minutes, on prompter) address the U.S. role
in the Middle East -- in fostering a strong U.S. tie with the new
Israeli government and supporting recent groundbreaking peace
talks. In addition, you pledge your commitment to fight against
anti-semitism, hate crimes and intolerance, both here and abroad.
McGroarty/Nix
September 7, 1992
2:00 p.m.
Draft 4
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: B'NAI B'RITH
WASHINGTON, D.C.
SEPTEMBER 8, 1992
11:00 A.M.
It is a great honor to be here with you today.
[Acknowledgements. And let me express my concerns for my good
friend Max Fisher, who was to be with us today
]
We've witnessed a world of change. Across Europe, across
continents, from Panama City to Prague, millions of men and women
now celebrate a new birth of freedom -- a new world of hope.
With change comes new challenges. For America, the end of
the Cold War means the beginning of a new era -- a new era of
economic competition that America simply must and will win. We
must recognize the new reality about domestic, economic and
foreign policies. In our world today, these three topics have
become one issue. In order to prevail, the United States must be
not only a military superpower, but an economic superpower -- an
export superpower as well. //
Yet you and I both know that America is about more than the
GNP. Our strength as a people is not measured merely by per
capita income. The state of our American union reflects not
simply the productivity of our economy but the character of our
society: How well we care for one another, in the wake of
natural tragedies like Hurricane Andrew -- in the face of all-
too-human tragedies of hate and unreason and violence. This is
2
what defines us. This is the true measure of what America means,
to ourselves -- to the world.
This willingness to reach out, to help those in need -- to
recognize across all the divides of color and culture and creed
our shared human spirit -- this is what B'Nai B'rith is all
about. For 150 years, the members of this organization have
served as the nation's conscience. And part of America's
conscience must always be to fight anti-semitism and other forms
of prejudice wherever and whenever they appear.
I wish that I could stand before you today and say that
anti-semitism is history, but it is not. Not when there are hate
crimes here at home and brown shirts abroad. That's a sorry
commentary on human nature.
Let's all be clear: A world willing to allow Jews to be
persecuted is a world certain to allow other tyrannies to emerge.
Neither Jew nor Gentile is safe so long as anti-semitism festers.
But we're not helpless. And we're doing something about it.
// In this country, we are aggressively employing the Hate
Crimes Act to bring to justice those who traffic in the gutter.
/ Anti-semitism is an evil idea with an ugly history. / I give
you this pledge: I will continue to do my utmost, here and
abroad, so that prejudice is finally / finally / finally,
banished from the human heart. //
In the end, anti-semitism and prejudice mock and threaten
the basic principles upon which the United States is founded.
They mock our belief in individual rights and in the human being,
3
created as the Bible tells us, in the image of God. And because
of that powerful belief in basic humanity, nothing is more sacred
to Americans than the principle of religious liberty.
In the words of George Washington to the Hebrew congregation
of Rhode Island,
"
the government of the United States
gives
to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance
While
everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and figtree, and
there shall be none to make him afraid. " And here's the
difference, the vital difference that sets apart our American
creed. For us, freedom of religion is no gift of government --
no privilege to be granted or withheld -- it is a fundamental
human right. //
Let's take heart that this American creed is spreading, that
people in our time are demanding and getting those rights they
have been denied so long. And changes in our world have come so
fast that I say they are nothing short of Biblical -- and by that
I mean just plain old-fashioned miraculous.
Just think about it. Just a few years ago, who would have
thought we would no longer live under the threat of nuclear
conflagration? Who would have thought the scarring symbol of an
era -- the Berlin Wall -- would be found only in museums and
chipped into paperweights? Above all, who would have predicted
the Soviet Union would be found only in the pages of history?
And know this: the miracles aren't only confined to Europe.
In the Middle East, events have defied all the predictions.
4
Today, direct, bilateral talks are taking place between Israel
and her neighbors.
You may recall we were told we couldn't succeed -- we
couldn't bring the parties together. But we did.
I want to dwell for a moment on this breakthrough, because I
know it matters deeply to everyone in this hall. Let me take you
back nearly a year ago to another hall, in Madrid. There,
gathered around the table were representatives of Lebanon,
Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Palestinians -- and Israel. For nearly
half a century they had not met, all together, outside the
battlefield. But for the first time they came together not to
fight -- but to talk.
Then, as now, the goal is not just a ceasefire or a truce,
but peace, real peace. Not simply the end of war -- but genuine
reconciliation. A peace both broad and deep, a peace codified by
treaties, and given life by trade and tourism, by open borders -
- the fabric of peace knit together even more tightly by the
simple human contact of peoples who've known each other far too
long as enemies. A comprehensive peace, rooted in Security
Council Resolutions 242 and 338. A peace that at long last will
allow the peoples of the Middle East to turn their energies,
their resources, their lives to creation rather than destruction
-- to great works rather than great wars.
Today, as we speak, parties that met first at Madrid are
mid-way through the sixth round of bilateral negotiations. There
has been progress. Delegations are exchanging not only
5
handshakes, but for the first time -- written proposals. Public
posturing has decreased -- and meaningful private dialogue has
increased.
of course, major hurdles remain. It will take time and
effort and courage and trust. But there is clearly a way -- and
increasingly, a will.
The evidence is mounting: The many positive steps taken by
Israel's new government that improve day-to-day life for
Palestinians and signal its seriousness about peace -- Egypt's
invitation that made it possible for Prime Minister Rabin to make
his first trip outside Israel to an Arab country -- Syria's
relaxation of travel restrictions affecting its Jewish citizens.
Further gestures, such as an end to the Arab boycott of Israel,
can only help in bringing about an environment conducive for
negotiation and reconciliation. I think it's high time to see
that boycott ended. //
I am proud of the role we've played in breaking the long-
standing taboo against direct talks between Israel and her
neighbors. Israel sought direct talks for 43 years -- and it was
right to do so. If you do not talk -- you can have no hope of
making peace. Now, there is such a hope.
I'm also proud of what we have done to end Israel's
diplomatic isolation internationally. Thanks to our efforts, we
succeeded -- after 16 years -- in getting the UN General Assembly
to repeal what should never have been enacted in the first place.
Zionism is not racism -- not before / not now / not ever. //
6
And thanks to our efforts, China and India and Turkey and
many other nations -- countries representing more than 2 billion
people -- now have full diplomatic relations with Israel.
Already this has created not only greater contact for Israel
worldwide, but new economic opportunities.
And I know this audience knows of our efforts to open the
gates to Jews in the former Soviet Union and also to rescue
Ethiopian Jews.
You know, four years ago when I spoke to you in Baltimore, I
noticed a banner hung in the back of the room that read: Where
do Soviet Jews apply for glasnost?
As I prepared to come here today, I thought of that banner.
I thought of the hopes we had then -- and I thought of the pledge
I made: That in every single meeting with Soviet officials, I
would raise the issue of Soviet Jews. //
My friends, I could not forget that banner -- I did not
forget that pledge -- and today, together, we celebrate this
miracle: Nearly half a million Jews have come out of the Soviet
Union -- to freedom. To Israel. //
Persuading parties to talk peace / ending Israel's
international isolation / assisting in the in-gathering of Jews
into Israel: These are the three great aims that have guided
Israel from its founding. And we didn't just talk about helping
Israel in these areas -- we delivered. That's a fact of which
every American can be proud.
7
And here's another fact. When the chips were down, when
many countries, including Israel, were threatened by the most
brutal aggression, America was there. We stopped Saddam Hussein.
And that terrible time when the world feared that the Cold
War would be replaced by a new age of Saddam -- that's over, too.
Let's recall some simple facts -- facts that some would-be
revisionists rewriting history would like to hide or distort.
Saddam Hussein's rise to power and aggression were not
caused by the United States. // We were not the reason Saddam
Hussein was on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons. We were
not the reason Saddam Hussein had more than 5000 tanks -- or 3500
pieces of artillery -- or the 4th largest army in the world.
And whatever differences I had with my critics cannot
obscure this fact: After August 2, while some stood by and
second-guessed -- I acted to take care of that threat. 11
I knew when I took the oath of office, that every President
faces difficult decisions -- and there is no decision more
difficult than sending this country's young men and women in
harm's way. In the end, it comes down to this: You cannot make
that kind of decision -- unless you are certain you understand
what is at stake.
I knew what was at stake.
And because of the bravery of America's sons and daughters
in Desert Storm -- America today is safer. Israel today is
safer. //
8
Ask yourself where the Middle East would be today -- where
Israel's security would be today -- if we had followed the
counsel of my critics.
Ask yourself where we would be if we had someone in the Oval
Office who would have waffled -- who would have wavered and
wanted to have it both ways.
Where would we be? I'll tell you: We'd be facing a
nuclear-armed Iraq, dominant in the Middle East, with a choke-
hold on the world's oil supplies -- and threatening Israel's very
existence. Israel's very survival would be at stake -- and we'd
be talking about whether there was any chance to avoid nuclear
Armageddon in the Middle East.
Well, Desert Storm swept away that nightmare and because of
America's courage today, we now have the chance to see the dawn
of peace in the Middle East.
There is still work to be done. The Middle East -- indeed,
the world -- is still a dangerous place. Terrorists continue to
target the innocent. The proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction casts a cloud over the region's future. Iraq's
Saddam Hussein, however much weaker, defeated, and locked in the
prison of his own country -- still brutalizes his own people and
resists the will of the international community. The need for
Israel to remain strong is beyond question, and it clearly
includes having a defensive capability against missile attack.
Scud attacks on Israel should have made that clear to everyone.
9
For that reason, I've proposed to Israel that it participate in
our development of a global protection system. //
And let me say to you: You ought to take a good, close look
at anyone who claims to be a friend of Israel -- at anyone who
claims to be serious about Israel's security -- but opposes
development of the defenses like GPALS that may be the only
effective way for Israel to defend itself against missile attack?
//
The point is: The need for US-Israeli strategic partnership
and cooperation remains as strong as ever.
And we're also going to see that partnership at work this
week. Because I am happy to tell you that I am sending to the
Congress legislation requesting up to $10 billion in loan
guarantees to aid Israel's government in welcoming its
immigrants. And I know I can count on the support of every one
in this room to make sure that this proposal becomes law. / And
don't let any Member of Congress tell you we can't afford to do
this. We can -- and we must. //
And today, I ask you: Take that message to Capitol Hill.
And believe me, I know that you will. //
I am glad that Prime Minister Rabin and I were able to reach
an understanding on loan guarantees when we met in Kennebunkport
last month. He outlined for me the new Israeli government's new
priorities, committed to investing in Israel itself, and stood
determined to avoid steps that could hamper progress toward
peace. I share that commitment. And, as a result, we will be
10
able to promote peace and welcome new immigrants at one and the
same time. Both are humanitarian undertakings; both deserve our
full support. It was important not to choose between them, and I
am glad that we are now in a position to promote both objectives.
As for the future, I am confident that on most issues, on
most occasions, we and Israel will find ourselves in agreement.
I, for one, am committed to revitalizing the tradition of full
consultations between the United States and Israel on the entire
range of issues affecting stability in the Middle East. I know
Prime Minister Rabin shares this commitment. And let me
emphasize this point: There will be no surprises.
Our support for Israel and its security is not simply a
policy. It is a principle. As I said after Prime Minister Rabin
and I met in Maine, this is a relationship based on a shared
commitment to democracy and common values, as well as a solid
commitment to Israel's security, including its qualitative
military edge. This is a special relationship, one specially
built to endure.
This relationship is important -- especially now, as we
enter a new era of uncertainty. Old empires are dying and new
nations being born. This is a time when a nation needs to know
who it can count on. Israel has a stability of purpose -- a
strength of spirit that has seen it through dark days. We know:
Israel will be there for us. Just as we will always be there for
Israel. //
11
No doubt there will be times when we disagree. Even friends
disagree. America will have disagreements with Israel -- just as
we sometimes disagree with Canada and France and Germany and
Britain. Those differences are signs of the durability of our
relationship -- of the democratic bonds we share. The point is
this: These are disagreements between friends and I emphasize
that word, friends.
There may even be issues where you and I will take opposing
sides. And things may get hot and words, hurtful words, may be
exchanged. // In the past, some remarks of mine -- remarks made
at a press conference -- were misinterpreted. I have gone on the
record expressing my sorrow for any pain this may have caused --
but I know some have said that wasn't a sufficient response to
the hurt that was created. So I'll go on the record again --
right here and now -- in front of these cameras, to all the
American people.
I support, I endorse, and I deeply believe in the God-given
right of every American to promote what they believe. It is your
right as an individual. It's more than a right. It's your duty
as an American citizen. //
But let me also say that it is important that we learn how
to disagree. The way democracies engage in debate is not without
consequence -- it is a mark of civility and freedom. I hardly
need to tell anyone in this room just what anti-semitism is. As
my friend Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League has pointed
out, to accuse those who may come to different conclusions on one
12
or another public issue of harboring anti-semitism is to cheapen
the term. That is dangerous. That is deeply wrong. And when
those words, without justice, have been aimed at me -- I can tell
you: They cut to the heart. //
But let's put all of this aside now and look to the future.
I've talked to you here about my optimism for that future. We
come together at a blessed time. The Cold War is over. And
Arab-Israeli peace talks have begun.
There is another reason to be optimistic. The American
people will soon exercise their unbroken two hundred year
democratic right to elect a President. And I'm optimistic too
about the identity of that new President -- there I go again
sounding like Harry Truman. / But, let me leave you with this.
However it turns out, commitment to freedom and democracy, to
tolerance and opportunity in America and around the world will
not change.
You are members of a community that has a long and great
tradition of political participation. B'nai B'rith stands for
opportunity, for tolerance, for opposition to anti-semitism and
the ugly face of hate in all its forms. You stand too for
stalwart support for America's close friend and ally, Israel.
And, let me simply say that on all these issues, I am proud
to stand with you. //
Thank you. May God bless the state of Israel -- and may God
bless the United States of America.
# # #
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 7, 1992
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
THROUGH:
STEVE PROVOST
FROM:
DAN MC GROARTY our
SUBJECT:
B'NAI B'RITH INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
I. Summary
On Tuesday, September 8, at 11:25 a.m., you will deliver
remarks to approximately 1500 people gathered at the Sheraton
Washington Hotel for the B'Nai B'rith 150th International
Convention.
II. Discussion
Your remarks (22 minutes, on prompter) address the U.S. role
in the Middle East -- in fostering a strong U.S. tie with the new
Israeli government and supporting recent groundbreaking peace
talks. In addition, you pledge your commitment to fight against
anti-semitism, hate crimes and intolerance, both here and abroad.
Mr, President
We recognize this needs to be shortned.
Steve Provout
McGroarty/Nix
September 7, 1992
2:00 p.m.
Draft 4
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: B'NAI B'RITH
WASHINGTON, D.C.
SEPTEMBER 8, 1992
11:00 A.M.
It is a great honor to be here with you today.
[Acknowledgements. And let me express my concerns for my good
on the phone to the ups pital; but his enthruarm is still fortantee
friend Max Fisher, who was to be with us today ] I talled to Unin
We've witnessed a world of change. Across Europe, across
continents, from Panama city to Prague, millions of men and women
now celebrate a new birth of freedom -- a new world of hope.
with change comes new challenges. For America, the end of
the Cold war means the beginning of a new era -- a new era of
economic competition that America simply must and will win. We
must recognize the new reality about domestic, economic and
foreign policies. In our world today, these three topics have
become one issue. In order to prevail, the United States must be
not only a military superpower, but an economic superpower -- an
export superpower as well. 11
Yet you and I both know that America is about more than the
GNP. Our strength as a people is not measured merely by per
capita income. The state of our American union reflects not
simply the productivity of our economy but the character of our
society: How well we care for one another, in the wake of
natural tragedies like Hurricane Andrew -- in the face of all-
too-human tragedies of hate and unreason and violence. This is
2
what defines us. This is the true measure of what America means,
to ourselves -- to the world.
This willingness to reach out, to help those in need -- to
recognize across all the divides of color and culture and creed
maybe
our shared human spirit -- this is what B'Nai B'rith is all
about. For 150 years, the members of this organization have
jouned a handful of other organism sening as
Make
served as the nation's conscience. And part of America's
mich
conscience must always be to fight anti-semitism and other forms
of prejudice wherever and whenever they appear.
I wish that I could stand before you today and say that
anti-semitism is history, but it is not. Not when there are hate
crimes here at home and brown shirts abroad. That's a sorry
commentary on human nature.
Let's all be clear: A world willing to allow Jews to be
persecuted is a world certain to allow other tyrannies to emerge.
Neither Jew nor Gentile is safe so long as anti-semitism festers.
But we're not helpless. And we're doing something about it.
11 In this country, we are aggressively employing the Hate
Crimes Act to bring to justice those who traffic in the gutter.
Pon't
/ Anti-semitism is an evil idea with an ugly history. / I give
whe
you this pledge: I will continue to do my utmost, here and
pledges
abroad, so that prejudice is finally / finally / finally,
banished from the human heart. 11
In the end, anti-semitism and prejudice mock and threaten
the basic principles upon which the United States is founded.
They mock our belief in individual rights and in the human being,
leave art
3
created as the Bible tells us, in the image of God. And because
of that powerful belief in basic humanity, nothing is more cacred
to Americans than the principle of religious liberty.
In the words of George Washington to the Hebrew congregation
of Rhode Island,
"
the government of the United States
gives
to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance
W
everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and figtree
there shall be none to make him afraid." And here's the
difference, the vital difference that sets apart our Americ
Genesis
creed. For us, freedom of religion is no gift of governmen
no privilege to be granted or withheld -- it is a fundament
human right. //
Let's take heart that this American creed is spreading, that
people in our time are demanding and getting those rights they
have been denied so long. And changes in our world have come so
fast that I Day they are nothing short of Biblical -- and by that
I mean just plain old-fashioned miraculous.
Just think about it. Just a few years ago, who would have
thought we would no longer live under the threat of nuclear
conflagration? Who would have thought the scarring symbol of an
era -- the Berlin Wall -- would be found only in museums and
chipped into paperweights? Above all, who would have predicted
the Soviet Union would be found only in the pages of history?
And know this: the miracles aren't only confined to Europe.
In the Middle East, events have defied all the predictions.
4
Today, direct, bilateral talks are taking place between Israel
and her neighbors.
You may recall we were told we couldn't succeed -- we
couldn't bring the parties together. But we did.
I want to dwell for a moment on this breakthrough, because I
know it matters deeply to everyone in this hall. Let me take you
back nearly a year ago to another hall, in Madrid. There,
gathered around the table were representatives of Lebanon,
Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Palestinians -- and Israel. For nearly
half a century they had not met, all together, outside the
battlefield. But for the first time they came together not to
fight -- but to talk.
Then, as now, the goal is not just a ceasefire or a truce,
but peace, real peace. Not simply the end of war -- but genuine
reconciliation. A peace both broad and deep, a peace codified by
treaties, and given life by trade and tourism, by open borders -
- the fabric of peace knit together even more tightly by the
simple human contact of peoples who've known each other far too
long as enemies. A comprehensive peace, rooted in Security
Council Resolutions 242 and 338. A peace that at long last will
allow the peoples of the Middle East to turn their energies,
their resources, their lives to creation rather than destruction
-- to great works rather than great wars.
Today, as we speak, parties that met first at Madrid are
mid-way through the sixth round of bilateral negotiations. There
has been progress. Delegations are exchanging not only
5
handshakes, but for the first time -- written proposals. Public
posturing has decreased -- and meaningful private dialogue has
increased.
Of course, major hurdles remain. It will take time and
effort and courage and trust. But there is clearly a way -- and
increasingly, a will.
The evidence is mounting: The many positive steps taken by
Israel's new government that improve day-to-day life for
Palestinians and signal its seriousness about peace -- Egypt's
invitation that made it possible for Prime Minister Rabin to make
his first trip outside Israel to an Arab country -- Syria's
relaxation of travel restrictions affecting its Jewish citizens.
Further gestures, such as an end to the Arab boycott of Israel,
can only help in bringing about an environment conducive for
negotiation and reconciliation. I think it's high time to see
that boycott ended. 11
I am proud of the role we've played in breaking the long-
standing taboo against direct talks between Israel and her
neighbors. Israel sought direct talks for 43 years -- and it was
right to do SO. If you do not talk -- you can have no hope of
making peace. Now, there is such a hope.
I'm also proud of what we have done to end Israel's
diplomatic isolation internationally. Thanks to our efforts, we
succeeded -- after 16 years -- in getting the UN General Assembly
to repeal what should never have been enacted in the first place.
Zionicm is not racism -- not before / not now / not ever.
11
Y
6
in part
And thanks to our efforts, China and India and Turkey and
many other nations -- countries representing more than 2 billion
people -- now have full diplomatic relations with Israel.
Already this has created not only greater contact for Israel
worldwide, but new economic opportunities.
And I know this audience knows of our efforts to open the
gates to Jews in the former Soviet Union and also to rescue
Ethiopian Jews.
You know, four years ago when I spoke to you in Baltimore, I
noticed a banner hung in the back of the room that read: Where
do Soviet Jews apply for glasnost?
As I prepared to come here today, I thought of that banner.
I thought of the hopes we had then -- and I thought of the pledge
I made: That in every single meeting with Soviet officials, I
would raise the issue of Soviet Jews. //
My friends, I could not forget that banner -- I did not
forget that pledge -- and today, together, we celebrate this
miracle: Nearly half a million Jews have come out of the Soviet
Union -- to freedom. To Israel. //
Persuading parties to talk peace / ending Israel's
international isolation / assisting in the in-gathering of Jews
into Israel: These are the three great aims that have guided
Israel from its founding. And we didn't just talk about helping
Israel in these areas -- we delivered. That's a fact of which
every American can be proud.
7
And here's another fact. When the chips were down, when
many countries, including Israel, were threatened by the most
brutal aggression, America was there. We stopped Saddam Hussein.
And that terrible time when the world feared that the Cold
War would be replaced by a new age of Saddam -- that's over, too.
Let's recall some simple facts -- facts that some would-be
revisionists rewriting history would like to hide or distort.
Saddam Hussein's rise to power and aggression were not
someb
disnnue
caused by the United States. // We were not the reason Saddam
Hussein was on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons. We were
not the reason Saddam Hussein had more than 5000 tanks -- or 3500
pieces of artillery -- or the 4th largest army in the world.
And whatever differences I had with my critics cannot
obscure this fact: After August 2, while some stood by and
second-guessed - - I acted to take care of that threat. //
I knew when I took the oath of office, that every President
faces difficult decisions -- and there is no decision more
difficult than sending this country's young men and women in
harm's way. In the end, it comes down to this: You cannot make
that kind of decision -- unless you are certain you understand
what is at stake.
I knew what was at stake.
And because of the bravery of America's sons and daughters
in Desert Storm -- America today is safer. Israel today is
safer. //
8
Ask yourself where the Middle East would be today -- where
Israel's security would be today -- if we had followed the
counsel of my critics.
Ask yourself where we would be if we had someone in the Oval
Office who would have waffled --- who would have wavered and
wanted to have it both ways.
Where would we be? I'll tell you: We'd be facing a
nuclear-armed Iraq, dominant in the Middle East, with a choke-
hold on the world's oil supplies -- and threatening Israel's very
existence. Israel's very survival would be at stake -- and we'd
be talking about whether there was any chance to avoid nuclear
Armageddon in the Middle East.
Well, Desert Storm swept away that nightmare and because of
America's courage today, we now have the chance to see the dawn
of peace in the Middle East.
There is still work to be done. The Middle East -- indeed,
the world ---- is still a dangerous place. Terrorists continue to
target the innocent. The proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction casts a cloud over the region's future. Iraq's
Saddam Hussein, however much weaker, defeated, and locked in the
prison of his own country -- still brutalizes his own people and
resists the will of the international community. The need for
Israel to remain strong is beyond question, and it clearly
includes having a defensive capability against missile attack.
Scud attacks on Israel should have made that clear to everyone.
9
For that reason, I've proposed to Israel that it participate in
our development of a global protection system. 11
And let me say to you: You ought to take a good, close look
at anyone who claims to be a friend of Israel -- at anyone who
claims to be serious about Israel's security -- but opposes
development of the defenses like GPALS that may be the only
effective way for Israel to defend itself against missile attack?
11
The point is: The need for US-Israeli strategic partnership
and cooperation remains as strong as ever.
And we're also going to see that partnership at work this
week. Because I am happy to tell you that I am sending to the
Congress legislation requesting up to $10 billion in loan
guarantees to aid Israel's government in welcoming its
immigrants. And I know I can count on the support of every one
in this room to make sure that this proposal becomes law. / And
don't let any Member of Congress tell you we can't afford to do
this. We can --- and we must. 11
And today, I ask you: Take that message to Capitol Hill.
And believe me, I know that you will. 11
I am glad that Prime Minister Rabin and I were able to reach
an understanding on loan guarantees when we met in Kennebunkport
last month. He outlined for me the new Israeli government's new
priorities, committed to investing in Israel itself, and stood
determined to avoid steps that could hamper progress toward
peace. I share that commitment. And, as a result, we will be
10
able to promote peace and welcome new immigrants at one and the
same time. Both are humanitarian undertakings; both deserve our
full support. It was important not to choose between them, and I
am glad that we are now in a position to promote both objectives.
As for the future, I am confident that on most issues, on
most occasions, we and Israel will find ourselves in agreement.
I, for one, am committed to revitalizing the tradition of full
consultations between the United States and Israel on the entire
range of issues affecting stability in the Middle East. I know
Prime Minister Rabin shares this commitment. And let me
emphasize this point: There will be no surprises.
Our support for Israel and its security is not simply a
policy. It is a principle. As I said after Prime Minister Rabin
and I met in Maine, this is a relationship based on a shared
commitment to democracy and common values, as well as a solid
commitment to Israel's security, including its qualitative
military edge. This is a special relationship, one specially
built to endure.
This relationship is important -- especially now, as we
enter a new era of uncertainty. Old empires are dying and new
nations being born. This is a time when a nation needs to know
who it can count on. Israel has a stability of purpose -- a
strength of spirit that has seen it through dark days. We know:
Israel will be there for us. Just as we will always be there for
Israel. //
11
No doubt there will be times when we disagree. Even friends
disagree. America will have disagreements with Israel -- just as
we sometimes disagree with Canada and France and Germany and
Britain. Those differences are signs of the durability of our
relationship -- of the democratic bonds we share. The point is
this: These are disagreements between friends and I emphasize
that word, friends.
There may even be issues where you and I will take opposing
sides. And things may get hot and words, hurtful words, may be
we
Po
exchanged. // In the past, some remarks of mine -- remarks made
need
at a press conference -- were misinterpreted. I have gone on the
artter
record expressing my sorrow for any pain this may have caused -
ma
but I know some have said that wasn't a sufficient response to
culper
the hurt that was created. So I'll go on the record again --
right here and now -- in front of these cameras, to all the
American people.
I support, I endorse, and I deeply believe in the God-given
right of every American to promote what they believe. It is your
right as an individual. It's more than a right. It's your duty
as an American citizen. //
But let me also say that it is important that we learn how
to disagree. The way democracies engage in debate is not without
consequence -- it is a mark of civility and freedom. I hardly
need to tell anyone in this room just what anti-semitism is. As
my friend Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League has pointed
out, to accuse those who may come to different conclusions on one
12
or another public issue of harboring anti-semitism is to cheapen
the term. That is dangerous. That is deeply wrong. And when
those words, without justice, have been aimed at me -- I can tell
you: They cut to the heart. //
But let's put all of this aside now and look to the future.
I've talked to you here about my optimism for that future. We
come together at a blessed time. The Cold War is over. And
Arab-Israeli peace talks have begun.
There is another reason to be optimistic. The American
people will soon exercise their unbroken two hundred year
democratic right to elect a President. And I'm optimistic too
about the identity of that new President -- there I go again
sounding like Harry Truman. / But, let me leave you with this.
However it turns out, commitment to freedom and democracy, to
tolerance and opportunity in America and around the world will
not change.
You are members of a community that has a long and great
tradition of political participation. B'nai B'rith stands for
opportunity, for tolerance, for opposition to anti-semitism and
the ugly face of hate in all its forms. You stand too for
stalwart support for America's close friend and ally, Israel.
And, let me simply say that on all these issues, I am proud
to stand with you. 11
Thank you. May God bless the state of Israel --- and may God
bless the United States of America.
# # #
policies mufly jence penish.
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
9/8/92
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: B'NAI B'RITH
SUBJECT:
WASHINGTON, DC
SEPTEMBER 8, 1992
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCBRIDE
BAKER
MOORE
SCOWCROFT
MULLINS
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BATES
PORTER
BRADY
PROVOST
BROMLEY
ROSS
CALIO
SMITH
DEMAREST
TUTWILER
FITZWATER
ZOELLICK
KAUFMAN
GRAY
MCGROARTY
HOLIDAY
HORNER
REMARKS:
The attached has been forwareded to the President.
(NOTE: POTUS reviewed draft 4 aboard aircraft
9/7/92)
RESPONSE:
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
McGroarty/Nix
September 7, 1992
11:00 p.m.
2 SEP 8 A7:46
Draft 5
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
B'NAI B'RITH
WASHINGTON, D.C.
SEPTEMBER 8, 1992
11:00 A.M.
It is a great honor to be here with you today.
[Acknowledgements. And let me express my concerns for my good
friend Max Fisher, who was to be with us today
]
We've witnessed a world of change, and with change comes new
challenges. For America, the end of the Cold War means the
beginning of a new era -- a new era of economic competition that
America simply must and will win. In the new world, foreign
policy, economic policy and domestic policy have become one
issue. In order to prevail, the United States must be not only
a
military superpower, but an economic superpower -- an export
superpower as well. //
Yet we know that America is measured by more than the
strength of our economy, but also by the content of our character
-- how we serve others.
This willingness to reach out, to help those in need -- to
recognize across all the divides of color and culture and creed
our shared human spirit -- this is what B'Nai B'rith is all
about. For 150 years, the members of this organization, have
joined a hanful of other organizations serving as the nation's
conscience. And part of America's conscience must always be to
2
fight anti-semitism and other forms of prejudice wherever and
whenever they appear.
I wish that I could stand before you today and say that
anti-semitism is history, but it is not. Not when there are hate
crimes here at home and brown shirts abroad. That's a sorry
commentary on human nature.
Let's all be clear: A world willing to allow Jews to be
persecuted is a world certain to allow other tyrannies to emerge.
But we're not helpless. And we're doing something about it.
// In this country, we are aggressively employing the Hate
Crimes Act to bring to justice those who traffic in the gutter.
/ Anti-semitism is an evil idea with an ugly history. / I will
continue to do my utmost, here and abroad, so that prejudice is
finally / finally / finally, banished from the human heart.
//
In the end, anti-semitism and prejudice mock and threaten
the basic principles upon which the United States is founded.
In a letter to the Hebrew congregation of Rhode Island,
George Washington wrote " the government of the United
States
gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no
assistance
While everyone shall sit in safety under his own
vine and figtree, and there shall be none to make him afraid. "
And here's the difference, the vital difference that sets apart
our American creed. For us, freedom of religion is no gift of
government -- no privilege to be granted or withheld -- it is a
fundamental human right. //
3
Let's take heart that this American creed is spreading, that
people in our time are demanding and getting those rights they
have been denied so long. And changes in our world have come $0
fast that I say they are nothing short of Biblical -- and by that
I mean just plain old-fashioned miraculous.
Just think about it. Just a few years ago, who would have
thought we would no longer live under the threat of nuclear
conflagration? Who would have thought the scarring symbol of an
era -- the Berlin Wall -- would be found only in museums and
chipped into paperweights? Above all, who would have predicted
the Soviet Union would be found only in the pages of history?
And know this: the miracles aren't only confined to Europe.
In the Middle East, events have defied all the predictions.
Today, direct, bilateral talks are taking place between Israel
and her neighbors.
You may recall we were told we couldn't succeed -- we
couldn't bring the parties together. But we did.
I want to dwell for a moment on this breakthrough, because I
know it matters deeply to everyone in this hall. Let me take you
back nearly a year ago to another hall, in Madrid. There,
gathered around the table were representatives of Lebanon,
Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Palestinians -- and Israel. For nearly
half a century they had not met, all together, outside the
battlefield. But for the first time they came together not to
fight -- but to talk.
4
Then, as now, the goal is not just a ceasefire or a truce,
but peace, real peace. Not simply the end of war -- but genuine
reconciliation. A peace both broad and deep, a peace codified by
treaties, and given life by trade and tourism, by open borders -
- the fabric of peace knit together even more tightly by the
simple human contact of peoples who've known each other far too
long as enemies. A comprehensive peace, rooted in Security
Council Resolutions 242 and 338. A peace that at long last will
allow the peoples of the Middle East to turn their energies,
their resources, their lives to creation rather than destruction
-- to great works rather than great wars.
Today, as we speak, parties that met first at Madrid are
mid-way through the sixth round of bilateral negotiations. There
has been progress. Delegations are exchanging not only
handshakes, but for the first time -- written proposals. Public
posturing has decreased -- and meaningful private dialogue has
increased.
Of course, major hurdles remain. It will take time and
effort and courage and trust. But there is clearly a way -- and
increasingly, a will.
The evidence is mounting: The many positive steps taken by
Israel's new government that improve day-to-day life for
Palestinians and signal its seriousness about peace -- Egypt's
invitation that made it possible for Prime Minister Rabin to make
his first trip outside Israel to an Arab country -- Syria's
relaxation of travel restrictions affecting its Jewish citizens.
5
Further gestures, such as an end to the Arab boycott of Israel,
can only help in bringing about an environment conducive for
negotiation and reconciliation. I think it's high time to see
that boycott ended. //
I am proud of the role we've played in breaking the long-
standing taboo against direct talks between Israel and her
neighbors. Israel sought direct talks for 43 years -- and it was
(
right to do SO. If you do not talk -- you can have no hope of
making peace. Now, there is such a hope.
I'm also proud of what we have done to end Israel's
diplomatic isolation internationally. Thanks to our efforts, we
succeeded -- after 16 years -- in getting the UN General Assembly
to repeal what should never have been enacted in the first place.
Zionism is not racism -- not before / not now / not ever.
//
And thanks to our efforts, China and India and Turkey and
many other nations -- countries representing more than 2 billion
people -- now have full diplomatic relations with Israel.
Already this has created not only greater contact for Israel
worldwide, but new economic opportunities.
And I know this audience knows of our efforts to open the
gates to Jews in the former Soviet Union and also to rescue
Ethiopian Jews.
You know, four years ago when I spoke to you in Baltimore,
I
noticed a banner hung on the wall that read: Where do Soviet
Jews apply for glasnost?
6
As I prepared to come here today, I thought of that banner.
I thought of the hopes we had then -- and I thought of a pledge I
made: That in every single meeting with Soviet officials, I
would raise the issue of Soviet Jews. //
My friends, I could not forget that banner -- I did not
forget that pledge -- and today, together, we celebrate this
miracle: Nearly half a million Jews have come out of the Soviet
Union -- to freedom. To America. To Israel. //
Persuading parties to talk peace / ending Israel's
international isolation / assisting in the in-gathering of Jews
into Israel: These are the three great aims that have guided
Israel from its founding. And we didn't just talk about helping
Israel in these areas -- we delivered. That's a fact of which
every American can be proud.
And here's another fact. When the chips were down, when
many countries, including Israel, were threatened by the most
brutal aggression, America was there. We stopped Saddam Hussein.
And that terrible time when the world feared that the Cold
War would be replaced by a new age of Saddam -- that's over, too.
I knew when I took the oath of office, that every President
faces difficult decisions -- and there is no decision more
difficult than sending this country's young men and women in
harm's way. In the end, it comes down to this: You cannot make
that kind of decision -- unless you are certain you understand
what is at stake.
I knew what was at stake.
7
And because of the bravery of America's sons and daughters
in Desert Storm -- America today is safer. Israel today is
safer. //
Ask yourself where the Middle East would be today -- where
Israel's security would be today -- if we had followed the
counsel of my critics.
Ask yourself where we would be if we had someone in the Oval
Office who would have waffled -- who would have wavered and
wanted to have it both ways.
Where would we be? I'll tell you: We'd be facing a
nuclear-armed Iraq, dominant in the Middle East, with a choke-
hold on the world's oil supplies -- and threatening Israel's very
existence. Israel's very survival would be at stake -- and we'd
be talking about whether there was any chance to avoid nuclear
Armageddon in the Middle East.
Well, Desert Storm swept away that nightmare and because of
America's courage today, we now have the chance to see the dawn
of peace in the Middle East.
There is still work to be done. The Middle East -- indeed,
the world -- is still a dangerous place. Terrorists continue to
target the innocent. The proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction casts a cloud over the region's future. Iraq's
Saddam Hussein, however much weaker, defeated, and locked in the
prison of his own country -- still brutalizes his own people and
resists the will of the international community. The need for
Israel to remain strong is beyond question, and it clearly
8
includes having a defensive capability against missile attack.
Scud attacks on Israel should have made that clear to everyone.
For that reason, I've proposed to Israel that it participate in
our development of a global protection system. //
And let me say to you: You ought to take a good, close look
at anyone who claims to be a friend of Israel -- at anyone who
claims to be serious about Israel's security -- but opposes
development of the defenses like GPALS that may be the only
effective way for Israel to defend itself against missile attack?
//
The point is: The need for US-Israeli strategic partnership
and cooperation remains as strong as ever.
And we're also going to see that partnership at work this
week. Because I am happy to tell you that I am sending to the
Congress legislation requesting up to $10 billion in loan
guarantees to aid Israel's government in welcoming its
immigrants. And I know I can count on the support of every one
in this room to make sure that this proposal becomes law. / And
don't let any Member of Congress tell you we can't afford to do
this. We can -- and we must. //
And today, I ask you: Take that message to Capitol Hill.
And believe me, I know that you will. //
I am glad that Prime Minister Rabin and I were able to reach
an understanding on loan guarantees when we met in Kennebunkport
last month. He outlined for me the new Israeli government's new
priorities, committed to investing in Israel itself, and stood
9
determined to avoid steps that could hamper progress toward
peace. I share that commitment. And, as a result, we will be
able to promote peace and welcome new immigrants at one and the
same time. Both are humanitarian undertakings; both deserve our
full support. It was important not to choose between them, and I
am glad that we are now in a position to promote both objectives.
As for the future, I am confident that on most issues, on
most occasions, we and Israel will find ourselves in agreement.
I, for one, am committed to revitalizing the tradition of full
consultations between the United States and Israel on the entire
range of issues affecting stability in the Middle East. I know
Prime Minister Rabin shares this commitment. And let me
emphasize this point: There will be no surprises.
Our support for Israel and its security is not simply a
policy. It is a principle. As I said after Prime Minister Rabin
and I met in Maine, this is a relationship based on a shared
commitment to democracy and common values, as well as a solid
commitment to Israel's security, including its qualitative
military edge. This is a special relationship, one specially
built to endure.
This relationship is important -- especially now, as we
enter a new era of uncertainty. Old empires are dying and new
nations being born. This is a time when a nation needs to know
who it can count on. Israel has a stability of purpose -- a
strength of spirit that has seen it through dark days. We know:
10
Israel will be there for us. Just as we will always be there for
Israel. //
No doubt there will be times when we disagree. Even friends
disagree. America will have disagreements with Israel -- just as
we sometimes disagree with Canada and France and Germany and
Britain. Those differences are signs of the durability of our
relationship -- of the democratic bonds we share. The point is
this: These are disagreements between friends and I emphasize
that word, friends.
(There may even be issues where you and I will take opposing
sides. And things may get hot and words, hurtful words, may be
exchanged. // In the past, some remarks of mine -- remarks made
at a press conference -- were misinterpreted. I have gone on the
record expressing my regret for any pain this may have caused.
Again I make it clear, I support, I endorse, and I deeply believe
in the God-given right of every American to promote what they
believe. It is your right as an individual. It's more than a
right. It's your duty as an American citizen.) //
But let me also say that it is important that we learn how
to disagree. The way democracies engage in debate is not without
consequence -- it is a mark of civility and freedom. I hardly
need to tell anyone in this room just what anti-semitism is. As
my friend Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League has pointed
out, to accuse those who may come to different conclusions on one
or another public issue of harboring anti-semitism is to cheapen
the term. That is dangerous. That is deeply wrong. And when
11
those words, without justice, have been aimed at me -- I can tell
you: They cut to the heart. //
But let's put all of this aside now and look to the future.
I've talked to you here about my optimism for that future. We
come together at a blessed time. The Cold War is over. And
Arab-Israeli peace talks have begun.
There is another reason to be optimistic. The American
people will soon exercise their unbroken two hundred year
democratic right to elect a President. And I'm optimistic too
about the identity of that new President -- there I go again
sounding like Harry Truman. / But, let me leave you with this.
However it turns out, commitment to freedom and democracy, to
tolerance and opportunity in America and around the world will
not change.
You are members of a community that has a long and great
tradition of political participation. B'nai B'rith stands for
opportunity, for tolerance, for opposition to anti-semitism and
the ugly face of hate in all its forms. You stand too for
stalwart support for America's close friend and ally, Israel.
And, let me simply say that on all these issues, I am proud
to stand with you. //
Thank you. May God bless the state of Israel -- and may God
bless the United States of America.
# # #
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
92 SEP 8 P1:26 September 8, 1992
MEMORANDUM FOR DAN McGROARTY
FROM:
ROGER B. PORTER
RBP
SUBJECT:
Presidential Remarks: B'Nai B'Rith
We have reviewed the attached presidential remarks and
have noted a few suggested changes on the draft.
If you have any questions or we can be of further
assistance, please let us know.
CC: Phillip D. Brady
Document No. 348733ss
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
9/4/92
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY: MON. 9/7 10:00 a.m.
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: B'NAI B'RITH
SUBJECT:
SEPTEMBER 8 - - 11:00 a.m.
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCBRIDE
BAKER
MOORE
SCOWCROFT
MULLINS
DARMAN
PETERSMEYER
BATES
PORTER
BRADY
>
PROVOST
BROMLEY
ROSS
CALIO
SMITH
DEMAREST
TUTWILER
FITZWATER
ZOELLICK
GRAY
KAUFMAN
HOLIDAY
MCGROARTY
HORNER
REMARKS:
Please forward your comments directly to Dan McGroarty, Rm. 122, x2930,
no later than 10:00 a.m., MONDAY, SEPT. 7, with a copy to this office.
Thank you.
RESPONSE:
PHILLIP D. BRADY
Assistant to the President
and Staff Secretary
Ext. 2702
Draft 3
September 4, 1992
9:00 p
SEP 4 F10 : 21
[BNAI]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: B'NAI B'RITH
WASHINGTON, D.C.
SEPTEMBER 8, 1992
11:00 A.M.
It is a great honor to be here with you today.
[Acknowledgements.]
We've witnessed a world of change. Across Europe, across
continents, from Panama City to Prague, millions of men and women
now celebrate a new birth of freedom -- a new world of hope.
With change comes new challenges. For America, the end of
the Cold War means the beginning of a new era -- a new era of
economic competition that America simply must and will win. We
must recognize the new reality about domestic, economic and
foreign policies. In our world today, these three topics have
become one issue. In order to prevail, the United States must be
not only a military superpower, but an economic superpower -- an
export superpower as well. //
Yet you and I both know that America is about more than the
PRODUCING GOODS AND SERVICES.
GNP. L Our strength as a people cannot only be measured MERELY by per
15 NOT
capita income. The state of our American union reflects not
simply the productivity of our economy but the character of our
society: How well we care for one another, in the wake of
natural tragedies like Hurricane Andrew -- in the face of all-
OUR CHARACTER
too-human tragedies of hate and unreason and violence. This is
NOTE: IT is NOT CLEAR
WHAT "THIS" REFERS TO.
2
what defines us. This is the true measure of what America means,
to ourselves -- to the world.
This willingness to reach out, to help those in need -- to
recognize across all the divides of color and culture and creed
our shared human spirit -- this is what B'Nai B'rith is all
about. For 150 years, the members of this organization have
served as the nation's conscience. And part of America's
conscience must always be to fight anti-semitism wherever and
whenever it appears.
I wish that I could stand before you today and say that
anti-semitism is history; but it is not. Not when there are hate
crimes here and brown shirts abroad. And let's call the thing by
?
its right name not neo Nazis, but Nazis. That's a sorry
commentary on human nature.
And let's all be clear: Neither Jew nor Gentiles is safe so
PERSISTS
long as anti-semitism fosters.
HERE AT HOME WE ARE HARO AT WORK.
But we're not helpless. And we re doing something about it.
ARE
ING
// In this country, we will aggressively employ/ the Hate Crimes
Act to bring to justice those who traffic in the gutter. And I
TO
give you this pledge; E will continue to do my utmost, here and
abroad, so that this prejudice is finally / finally, finally,
banished from the human heart.!
But we re not helpless. And we're doing something about it
REPEAT #
It In this country, we will aggressively employ the Hate
Crimes Act to bring to justice those who traffic in the gutter.
And I give you this pledge: I will continue to do my utmost,
3
here and abroad, so that this prejudice is finally, finally,
finally, banished from the human heart!
In the end, anti-semitism and prejudice mock and threaten
the basic principle upon which the United States is founded.
4
They mock our belief in individual rights and in the human being
created as the Bible tells us, in the image of God. And because
of that powerful belief, in basic humanity, nothing is more sacred
to Americans than the principle of religious liberty.
In the words of George Washington, whose letter we
rededicate today:
"
the government of the United States
gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution, no assistance
While everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and
figtree, and there shall be none to make him afraid. " And here's
the difference, the vital difference between this American creed
and others. Because for us that freedom of religion is no gift
of government -- no privilege to be granted or withheld -- it is
a fundamental human right. //
Let's take heart that this American creed is spreading, that
people in our time are demanding and getting those rights they
have been denied so long. And changes in our world have come SO
fast that I say they are nothing short of Biblical -- and by that
I mean just plain old fashioned miraculous.
Just think about it. Just a few years ago, who would have
thought we would no longer live under the threat of nuclear
WAR
conflagration? Who would have thought the scarring symbol of an
era -- the Berlin Wall -- would be found only in museums and
4
chipped into paperweights? Above all, who would have predicted
the Soviet Union would be found only in the pages of history?
And know this: the miracles aren't only confined to Europe.
Even in the Middle East, events have defied all the predictions.
For today, direct, bilateral talks are taking place between
Israel and her neighbors.
SOME SUGGESTED
You may recall we were told we couldn't succeed -- we
couldn't bring the parties together. But we did.
I want to dwell for a moment on this breakthrough, because I
know it matters deeply to everyone in this hall. Let me take you
back nearly a year ago to another hall, in Madrid. There,
gathered around the table were representatives of Lebanon,
Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Palestinians -- and Israel. For nearly
half a century they had not met outside the battlefield. But for
the first time they came together not to fight -- but to talk.
Then, as now, the goal is not just a ceasefire or a truce,
but peace, real peace. Not simply the end of war -- but genuine
reconciliation. A peace both broad and deep, a peace codified by
treaties, and given life by trade and tourism, by open borders -
- the fabric of peace knit together even more tightly by the
simple human contact of peoples who've known each other far too
long as enemies. A comprehensive peace, rooted in Security
Council Resolutions 242 and 338. A peace that at long last will
allow the peoples of the Middle East to turn their energies,
5
their resources, their lives to creation rather than destruction
-- to great works rather than great wars.
Today, as we speak, the parties that met first at Madrid are
mid-way through the sixth round of bilateral negotiations. There
has been progress. Delegations are exchanging not only
handshakes, but for the first time -- written proposals. Public
posturing has decreased -- and meaningful private dialogue has
increased.
of course, major hurdles remain. It will take time and
effort and courage and trust. But there is clearly a way -- and
increasingly, a will.
The evidence is mounting: The many positive steps taken by
Israel's new government that improve day-to-day life for
Palestinians and signal its seriousness about peace -- Egypt's
invitation that made it possible for Prime Minister Rabin to make
his first trip outside Israel to an Arab country -- Syria's
relaxation of travel restrictions affecting its Jewish citizens.
Further gestures, such as an end to the Arab boycott, can only
help in bringing about an environment conducive for negotiation
and reconciliation.
I am proud of the role we've played in breaking the long-
standing taboo against direct talks between Israel and her
neighbors. Israel sought direct talks for 43 years -- and it was
right to do so. If you do not talk -- you can have no hope of
making peace. Now, there is such a hope.
6
I'm also proud of what we have done to end Israel's
diplomatic isolation internationally. Thanks to our efforts, we
succeeded -- after 17 years -- in getting the UN General Assembly
to repeal what should never have been enacted in the first place.
Zionism is not racism -- not before / not now / not ever. //
And thanks to our efforts, China and India and Turkey and
many other nations -- countries representing 2 billion people --
now have full diplomatic relations with Israel. Already this has
created not only greater contact for Israel worldwide, but new
economic opportunities.
And I know this audience knows of our efforts to open the
gates in the former Soviet Union and rescue Ethiopian Jews. Now
hundreds of thousands of Jewish men, women and children who only
a few years ago lived in fear or neglect in the Soviet Union or
Ethiopia now live in Israel, free to live, work and worship as
ACCORDING TO THE DICTATES of THEIR CONSCIENCE.
their heart tells them they must.
Persuading parties to talk peace / ending Israel's
international isolation / assisting in the in gathering of Jews
TO
into Israel: These are the three great aims that have guided
Israel from its founding. And we didn't just talk about helping
Israel in these areas -- we delivered. That's a fact of whch
every American can be proud.
I AM PROUD THAT
And here's another fact. When the chips were down, when
Israel and many other countries were threatened by the most
brutal aggression, America was there. We stopped Saddam Hussein.
7
And that terrible time when the world feared that the Cold
is
War would be replaced by a new age of Saddam that's over, too.
Let's recall some simple facts. Saddam Hussein's rise to power
and aggression were not caused by the United States.
We were not the reason Saddam Hussein was on the verge of
acquiring nuclear weapons. We were not the reason Saddam Hussein
had 5000 tanks -- or 5000 pieces of artillery -- or the 4th
largest army in the world. This was his own doing.
And whatever differences I had with my critics -- and with
DEVETE
some would-be revisionists who want to rewrite history -- cannot
obscure this fact: After August 2, while my critics stood by and
second guessed -- I acted to take care of that threat.
Ask yourself where the Middle East would be today -- where
Israel's security would be today -- if we had followed the
counsel of my critics. Ask yourself where we would be if we had
someone in the Oval Office who would have mattered -- who would
have wavered and wanted to have it both ways. Where would we be?
I'll tell you: We'd be facing a nuclear-armed Iraq, with a
choke-hold on the world's oil supplies -- and threatening
Israel's very existence. Israel's very survival would be at
stake -- and we'd be talking about whether there was any chance
to avoid nuclear Armageddon in the Middle East.
Well, Desert Storm swept away that nightmare and because of
America's courage today, we see the dawn of peace.
There is still work to be done. The Middle East -- indeed,
the world -- is still a dangerous place. Terrorists continue to
8
target the innocent. The proliferation of conventional arms as
well as weapons of mass destruction casts a cloud over the
region's future; Iraq's Saddam Hussein, however much weaker and
defeated, still brutalizes his own people and resists the will of
the international community. The need for Israel to remain
strong is beyond question, and it clearly includes having a
defensive capability against missile attack. The importance of
that was demonstrated by the Gulf War. And that's the reason
that I've proposed to Israel that it participate in our
development of a global protection system! So, the need for US-
Israeli strategic partnership and cooperation remains stronger
than ever.
And we're also going to see that partnership at work this
week. Because I am happy to tell you that I am sending to the
Congress legislation requesting up to $10 billion in loan
guarantees to aid Israel's government in the absorption of these
newcomers. And I know I can count on the support of every one in
this room to make sure that this proposal becomes law.
I am glad that Prime Minister Rabin and I were able to reach
an understanding on loan guarantees when we met in Kennebunkport
last month. He outlined for me the new Israeli government's new
priorities, committed to investing in Israel itself, and
determined to avoid steps that could hamper progress toward
peace. I share that commitment. And, as a result, we will be
able to promote peace and welcome new immigrants at one and the
same time. Both are humanitarian undertakings; both deserve our
9
full support. It was important not to choose between them, and I
am glad that we are now in a position to promote both objectives.
As for the future, I am confident that on most issues, on
most occasions, we and Israel will find ourselves in agreement.
I, for one, am committed to revitalizing the tradition of full
consultations between the United States and Israel on the entire
range of issues affecting stability in the Middle East. I know
RABIN
the Prime Minister shares this commitment. And let me emphasize
this point: There will be no surprises.
DIFFERENCES
I pledge to you that we will work hard to keep any divide to
a minimum. Our support for Israel and its security is not simply
a policy. It is a principle. As I said after Prime Minister
Rabin and I met in Maine, this is a relationship based on a
shared commitment to democracy and common values, as well as a
shared commitment to Israel's security, including its qualitative
military edge. This is a special relationship, one specially
built to endure.
No doubt there will be times when we disagree. Even friends
disagree. Even democratic governments like Israel and the United
States disagree. But here's the point: These are disagreements
between friends and I emphasize that word, friends.
There may even be issues where you and I will take opposing
sides. And things may get hot and words, hurtful words, may be
exchanged. // In the past, some remarks of mine were
misinterpreted. I have gone PUBLICLY on the record expressing ed my sorrow
for any pain this may have caused, and I'll go on the record again
10
right here and now again. But let me also express the hope
that some of the critics who've been a little quick to use words
like "anti-semitism" will also rethink what they've said.
Let's be clear about this: I support, I endorse, and I
deeply believe in the God-given right of every American to
promote what they believe. It is your right as an individual.
It s more than a right. It's a duty as an American citizen.
//
But let me also say that it is important that we learn how
to disagree. How a debate is conducted in a democracy is not
careless, it's a mark of civility and freedom. I hardly need to
tell anyone in this room just what anti-semitism is. As my
friend Abe Foxman pointed out, to accuse those who may come to
different conclusions on one or another public issue of harboring
anti-semitism is to cheapen the term. That is dangerous. That
is deeply wrong. And when those words, without justice, have
been aimed at me I can tell you: They cut to the heart. //
But let's put all of this aside now and look to the future.
I've talked to you here about my optimism for that future. We
come of at a blessed time. The Cold War is over. And Israeli
peace talks have begun.
There is another reason to be optimistic. The American
people will soon exercise their unbroken two hundred year
democratic right to elect a President. And I'm optimistic too
about the identity of that new President E- so there I go again
?
in the Harry Truman mode.] But, let me leave you with this.
However it turns out, commitment to freedom and democracy, to
11
tolerance and opportunity in America and around the world will
not change.
You are members of a community that has long and great
tradition of political participation. B'nai B'rith stands for
opportunity, for tolerance, for opposing anti-semitism and the
ugly face of hate in all its forms. You stand too for stalwart
support for America's close friend and ally, Israel.
And, let me simply say that aon all these issues, I am proud
to stand with you.
Thank you -- and may God bless the United States of America.
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