US views on some issues related to current Palestinian - Israeli crisis

Here are some of the questions and answers by the White House spokesman Ari Fleischer in a briefing yesterday:

QUESTION: Will the President consider cutting off any form of aid to Israel as the Sharon government continues to defy his request to withdraw from the Palestinian territories without delay?

MR. FLEISCHER: Secretary Powell made crystal-clear before his trip that the answer to that is no.

Q: What, then, are the consequences, the real-world consequences, for Sharon and for the Israeli government in their defiance of the President's request?

MR. FLEISCHER: Terry, democracies talk to each other on the basis of respect and on the basis of principle. And the United States presents its reasons to Israel about what the United States believes is the best course to pursue in order to create an environment for peace in the Middle East. We do so on the basis of friendship, on the basis of respect.

The President reiterates that all parties in the region need to step up to their responsibilities in order to create that environment.

Q: Aside from that reiteration, there's really nothing more the President can do. And doesn't that put his own credibility at risk?

MR. FLEISCHER: The Secretary of State is looking forward to meeting with Prime Minister Sharon. There have been a series of contacts, have been for quite some time and will continue to be, with the government of Israel, as well as with the Arab allies and other nations in the region.

So conversations will continue, the point will continue to be stressed, and the President will remain persistent.

Q: One more. Does the President believe that Israeli use of American-made weapons in these operations is consistent with the obligations that Israel has in use of those weapons for defensive purposes in accordance with understandings with the United States?

MR. FLEISCHER: The President has made abundantly clear that he believes in Israel's right to defend herself. The President has also indicated regardless of type of weaponry, that when the time has come, that Israel should pull back.

Q: Does he also believe that the Israelis have a right to lay siege on the West Bank and Gaza? Will Powell see Arafat on Sunday? Does America have any peace plan, any plan to try to bring about a cease-fire and to get this friendly nation to cooperate a little?

MR. FLEISCHER: Secretary Powell has already announced that he will be meeting with Chairman Arafat and the President has made clear what he thinks needs to be done in order to create peace.

The President has a long-term goal, that is an Israel that can live in security, and the creation of a Palestinian state, living side by side with Israel. To get to that goal, that is the essence of the diplomatic mission that Secretary Powell is involved in right now. It is a challenge, it is difficult. That is nothing new in America's foreign policy, but that is the commitment of the United States.

Q: What is the short-term terms?

MR. FLEISCHER: The short term is represented by Secretary Powell's mission, which is to get the parties to agree to a cease-fire, as well as a focus on the political talks that need to begin, so that all parties in the region can have hope. And that's the purpose of the Secretary's visit. That's why he began meeting with the Arab nations that can have good influence on the Palestinian Authority, to demonstrate their commitment to peace. And he will meet with Israel and he will meet with Chairman Arafat.

Q: To follow up, is the President aware that there is the widespread perception that he has given a green light to Sharon to keep on the siege until he finally can -- will agree to a cease-fire, that the killing will go on?

MR. FLEISCHER: I think everybody has heard the President talk directly, himself, and they know that's not the case.

Q: But if this is the way democracies talk to one another, it seems that the other democracy isn't listening. The President has made repeated demands -- not requests, but demands that Sharon pull back or begin to withdraw. It's gone completely unheeded.

MR. FLEISCHER: Welcome to the Middle East. This is the situation in the Middle East that has been an ongoing issue for decades. And because it's so important, because so much is at stake, because it's so crucial, the President is committed. And that is why he has directed his Secretary of State to go to the region, despite the difficulties that are present not from one side, but from all sides.

Israel remains America's friend. America remains a trusted ally and partner of Israel, a democracy. And in that process the President will continue to make clear to all parties what he believes the obligations are in order to achieve peace. The difficulty, Bill, is the violence has gotten to the point now where both parties are so engaged in the ongoing struggle for the Middle East that the President wants to find a way to help the parties to help themselves.

It will be difficult, it will be a challenge, but the President remains committed to it.

Q: Why do you have any reason to believe that both parties want to help themselves?

MR. FLEISCHER: What alternative do the parties have? The future for the Middle East cannot be endless violence. The future for the region has got to be where statesmen step up, where people can be found on all sides who are willing to commit themselves to the process of peace. And that is the purpose of Secretary Powell's visit, is to work with those elements, to give those elements political hope, to give those elements more reason to work with each other so that peace can again take root.

Q: I guess what I'm getting at is it's been almost a week since the President asked Israel to pull back and asked the Palestinians to stop the suicide bombings. Neither side has paid heed. What glimmer of hope have you seen in the last six days that there is going to be a breakthrough in the problems?

MR. FLEISCHER: Ron, no matter how difficult this is, this President will not give up. The United States has no choice but to help, and help we will. Under President Bush's direction, the Secretary is in the region, and that's the challenge of his mission. But I don't think it surprises the American people that this is a challenge, that this is difficult, and that people in the region don't simply stop, salute the United States and say yes, sir. That is not how diplomacy works.

But it will not stop this President from doing everything in his power to find ways to bring the parties together.

Q: Ari, there seems to be a fundamental difference of opinion on the proper approach to terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian context between the U.S. and Israeli leaders. Judging from what Mr. Netanyahu said on Capitol Hill today and what Mr. Sharon has said, the Israelis seem to be arguing that a military response is the only one that makes sense against terrorism, and that by meeting with Arafat, by talking to Arafat, the U.S. is, in a sense, rewarding terrorism. What is the administration's argument?

MR. FLEISCHER: Jim, this President will reward those who help create peace. That's the President's focus. That's where his time will be spent.

The President has met on many occasions with Prime Minister Sharon, as you know. Yasser Arafat had his chance to meet with the Vice President. He did not live up to the conditions the Vice President established for a meeting.

The Secretary of State has met with Yasser Arafat before. It is part of his portfolio that the President has invested in him, to have the broadest, most flexible mandate. That if the Secretary of State thinks it's worthwhile having a meeting with Yasser Arafat, he can do so. But the people who will contribute the most to peace are the people who put their shoulder to the wheel, the people who help create a cease-fire, and the people who even after all the violence express a willingness to work with each other.

And that's why the President has given the message he has to all parties, that he is concerned that, as a result of what's taking place on the ground now in the Middle East, it will be harder to bring the two parties together. But a way must be found, and the President has committed himself to finding that way and to working with whoever can get that done.

Q: Well, that is the problem, and you know there is obviously a lot of conservative criticism here at home as well, in addition to the Israelis, saying that the U.S. has characterized Arafat as a terrorist. Yet, we're willing to sit down and talk with him about peace, and a lot of people find some difficulty in reconciling.

MR. FLEISCHER: I think everybody knows what the President has said on the topic of Yasser Arafat and whether he has earned the President's trust. He has not. Nevertheless, the President wants the Secretary of State to have the broadest mandate possible with the most flexibility, so he can have the most influence on bringing peace to the region.