April  4, 2002

President Mubarak's address to the nation on grave situation in the Palestinian territories

The Middle East region is at present undergoing bloody events brought about by the current Israeli government due to its lack of a clear vision of peace and its belief that peace can be built through military force.It further thinks that power can re-entrench its aggressive occupation of the Palestinian territories or impose an unjust settlement, that in no way complies with international legitimacy.

It is regrettable to see Israel use the international campaign against terrorism in trying to label as such the Palestinian legitimate resistance against its unlawful occupation.By circumventing some influential political powers, it thereby elicits sympathy with its attempts to eliminate the legitimate elected leadership of the Palestinian people. In so doing, they act under the illusion that any new Palestinian leadership may be more responsive to such solutions it seeks to impose.

Israel deliberately ignores the fact that the entire Palestinian people will never accept anything short of the restoration of all their territories and the establishment of an independent state with al-Quds al Shareef as its capital, regardless of any changes in their leadership and in spite of any escalation by Israel of its intransigent and arbitrary measures.

Israel also intentionally ignores that all its acts of re-occuing Palestinian self-rule areas, humiliating Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and his colleagues; members of the legitimate Palestinian Authority and even besieging and demoralizing the whole Palestinian unarmed people do constitute a flagrant violation of all international human rights conventions.

These acts clearly conflict with the least principles of democracy that Israel always brags of. The flagrant violations by the current Israeli government of all principles and values held by civilized nations, the blatant flouting by Israel of all international legitimacy resolutions and its breach of all agreements signed with the Palestinian Authority in Oslo, Wye River and Sharm al - Sheikh, all make us in the Arab world doubtful of the credibility of Israel's commitment to the bases on which the peace process is grounded, namely the Security Council Resolutions Nos. 242 and 338 as well as the "land-for-peace"formula.

We even doubt how far Israel is really interested in seeing security and stability prevail in the Middle East region. Here, I find it incumbent upon myself to set right the rumor propagated by Israel that President Arafat had wasted a historic opportunity by turning down the former Israeli government's offer in Camp David.

The said offer was deficient in specific points that should have been rectified, particularly as regards comprehensive withdrawl from Palestinian territories, the necessity of recognizing Palestinian sovereignty over Al-Haram al Shareef and its grounds in Jerusalem. It also lacked any agreement on an urgent and fair settlement of the refugees problem.

Further, it was deficient in insistence by Israel on the requirement to lease for a long term a large tract of land in the Palestinian area of "Jordan Lowlands" Israel knew before- hand that no settlement could be reached unless such problems have been resolved.

In the meatime, I would like to stress that Israel has used all it resources to expand construction of settlements and to change the geographical status of Palestinian towns, including Jerusalem with the object of making settlement more difficult. This is a desperate attempt to obtain gains by imposing fait accompli.

Brothers and Sisters,
In Egypt, we have constant and unwavering commitment towards peace. However, it will never be complete unless Israel respects and implements its commitments under the agreements signed with Palestinian Authority. These include earlier understandings reached with former governments, the latest of which was Taba understanding based on proposals by the former us President Bill Clinton. These all constitute solid grounds for resuming serious peace negotiations with the elected Palestinian Authority towards establishing an independent sovereign Palestinian state.

Hence was our support for the Saudi Initiative that was endorsed as an Arab Initiative by the Arab Summit in Beirut with the object of urging Israel to exert more effort to bring about peace. Hence also was our support for the Security Council Resolution No.1397 that codified the American vision of bringing about peace on the bases of two states; Palestinian and the other Israeli, each living in peace and security within the internationally recognized borders.

Our standpoint has been always crystal-clear. On March 29, we warrned Israel against the consequences of re-occupying the Palestinian Authority territories. We also warned it against attempting to cause harm to the Palestinian Authority and its elected President or assulting the holy places particularly al-Aqsa Mosque. In this context, we called upon Israel to withdraw its forces immediately from the Palestinian Authority territories and to cease its provocative and arbitrary against the unarmed Palestinian people should it have the intention to avoid the grave consequences for which peoples of the region and foremost that of Israel will have to pay the price.

However, Israel has failed to respond to such warning and has refused to implement the unanimously issued resolution of the Security Council No. 1402, calling for immediate Israeli withdrawal from the territories of the Palestinian Authority and has even deliberately tightened its siege of the Authority premises and the residence of its president and top officials.All these acts have unveiled the real nature of the current Israeli policy that drives its power from its military machine. Õ premises and the residence of its president and top officials. All these acts have unveiled the real nature of the current Israeli policy that drives its power from its military machine.

This requires the entire international community to adopt decisive stands that would make Israeli government come to its senses, forcing it to comply with the international legitimacy resolutions and to respond to the proposed initiatives calling for peace, security and stability. In this regard, the Egyptian Cabinet has yesterday adopted a decisive stand which, I am sure, will convey a clear message in this regard.

Here, the United States, as the main sponsor of the peace process in this region as well as guarantor to all already signed agreements and as party to all understandings reached, has a special responsibility. Therefore, I sent two successive messages to the US President, since the beginning of the Israeli attack on March 29, urging the American administration to exert its utmost effort and use all its diplomatic power so as to gurantee Israeli withdrawal from the reoccupied Palestinian Authority territories and to lift the inhuman siege clamped on the Palestinian leader and his colleagues in Ramallah.

The American administration was urged to ensure resumption of negotiations so as to implement Tenet plan and Mitchel recommendations without making any amendments to any obligations imposed on either party. In both messages, I clearly pointed out the grave dangers that could jeopardize world peace and interests of different countries within and outside the Middle East region if Israel pursued its aggressive policy and its attempts to impose a settelment by using military force.

The Israeli government will be committing a gross mistake should it think that its current policy could lead to the security it has promised its electors. This policy will lead to nothing but further damage and more severe losses to the Israeli people. Nor will such policy intimidate Arab governments and peoples and prevent them from supporting the Palestinian people in their attempt to obtain their legal rights. Time will prove that the current policy of the Israeli government will only help deepen the feeling of hate in the hearts of some 300 million Arabs towards Israel and all those who support its current policy; bearing in mind all related connotations.

It follows therefore that the support shown by the Egyptian people with all their sects and orientations for the brotherly Palestinian people and its leadership in the face of impending dangers is not incidental. Egypt has always been and will continue to be the first to give a hand to Palestine and the first to contribute all its capabilities in alleviating sufferings of the brotherly Palestinian people. Thus, we have launched a national campaign to provide all possible huminitarian aid, relief supplies, medicine, physicians and nurses to be sent to the occupied Palestinian territories.

Brothers and Sisters:

Our belief in peace will remain strong and unwavering, should Israel show true intentions towards peace and should it abide by international legitmacy. Failing this, peace and stability will never prevail in the Middle East. The coming generations of both parties to the Arab-Israeli conflict will continue to suffer from absence of security and stability and scourge of violence and counter-violence.

It is the high time for the Israeli government to summon up courage in the face of its failure to bring about security for its citizens through military force. It is also high time for Israel to admit that its continued presence in Palestinian territories constitutes predetermination on its part to forcefully occupy lands and usurp the Palestinian rights. Furthermore, it should admit that the use of its military forces that are a force of illegitimate occupation will not quench the legitimate Palestinian resistence guaranteed by international law.

Twice did the Arab countries extend their hands with peace to Israel; first in the Cairo Summit of 1996 when they declared peace as their strategic option and second in the recent Beirut Summit that sent out a clear-cut and stronger message to the Israeli government and people as well as the Israeli and world public opinion. The message stressed that reaching an agreement to settle the refugees problem in the context of the General Assembly Resolution No.194 and establishing a sovereign Palestine State on all Israeli-occupied territories in West Bank and Gaza Strip will put an end to the conflict and allow all Arab countries to enter into normal peace relations with Israel. So, can Israel ever listen to the voice of reason and logic? Can Israel learn such lessons from the past as would enable it to look forward to the future? Will it admit the real problem and seek to redress it? Israel should be fully aware that the Arab hands today extended thereto with peace do so out of full equivalence rather than out of weakness or fear.

While the Arab nation is always able to confront challenges, yet at the same time, it has the will to establish principles of peace and stability based on right, justice and to restore rights to their original holders.

Egypt will continue to champion right and justice, to seek peace, to confront injustice, oppression and aggression, to work for stability and peacful co-existence and to fight against extremism and blind fanaticism. In so doing, it is guided by both power and logic for the welfare of its own people and those of Arab peoples and the whole region.

May Allah guide us to do what is best for our nation and to the right path.

May Allah's peace and mercy be upon you.