Remarks With Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel Tzipi Livni After Their Meeting
Secretary Condoleezza Rice
The Treaty Room, U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC
September 13, 2006
SECRETARY RICE: Good afternoon. I'm very pleased to welcome Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to the United States, also
Deputy Prime Minister. Tzipi and I have had a number of opportunities to meet here and also in the Middle East. We've
had a wide-ranging discussion, including discussing Resolution 1701 on Lebanon and the need for its full implementation.
We have discussed the situation in Iran. Iran's destabilizing activities in the region and also concerns about the
Iranian nuclear program. We have talked about the two-state solution and how to think about moving forward on
Israeli-Palestinian issues.
I also wanted to say to Minister Livni and to the Israeli people that the United States continues to call for the
unconditional and immediate release of the Israeli soldier in the Palestinian territory and the Israeli soldiers held in
Lebanon. We pray for their safety and for their well being. But the international community has made very clear that
they should be released and released unconditionally.
Thank you for coming.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Thank you and thank you for the invitation. And my visit comes at a very special time when we
mark the attacks of September 11th. I think that this was the day in which the world was divided in two, between those
who mourned and those who celebrated. And Israelis cried with the Americans that day. And since then Israel, under the
leadership of the United States of America, and other nations are fighting terrorism. And my visit to you also comes a
few weeks after Resolution 1701 was adopted by the Security Council. I think that resolution -- I believe that
Resolution 1701 represent the interest of the region and it represents the interest of the region in order to promote
the process and to change the situation in the region. And this is also a result of the determination of the United
States and, personally Secretary Rice, and determination not to come back to the dangerous status quo that we faced
before the attack -- unprovoked attack on Israel.
But of course the question whether there is a window of opportunity or we can change this window of opportunity into
reality, of course, now it depends on the determination of the international community in order to implement fully and
completely the resolution, including the release of the soldiers, of the hostages and enforcement of the arm embargo and
the dismantlement of Hezbollah. And I think that after the last events in our region, in Lebanon I think that it is also
the Iranian threat now is more clear. And I think that now it is more clear that the world cannot afford a nuclear Iran.
About the complicated situation between the Israelis and Palestinians, of course, we discussed this issue in order to
promote a process. And I can assure you that stagnation is not the Israeli Government policy. But since the Hamas won
the election in the Palestinian Authority the situation become more complicated and undermine in a way the vision that
President -- the President Bush vision that is -- that the roadmap represent. But we will take all of the efforts and we
take this opportunity in order to find a way to revive and to promote the process in order to achieve this goal and this
vision for a better future for us all.
MR. MCCORMACK: A brief amount of time for some questions. We'll give one to each side (inaudible).
QUESTION: Madame Secretary, on the efforts among Palestinians to form a unity government, do you see this as a way to
eventually resolve the question of foreign aid to the Palestinians? Would you oppose this government if Hamas does not
meet the three conditions you've laid out as a part of forming it?
And for the Foreign Minister, the idea raised, I believe yesterday, that Abbas could talk to Israel as part of a unity
government even if Hamas did not, does that make you any more disposed to negotiate with that government, would that
condition be satisfactory to you?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, Anne, first of all, I think that the outcome of the process is not clear. It's an ongoing process
and our purpose has been to be very clear that we do believe that the Quartet principles represent the consensus of the
international community about the way forward between Israel and the Palestinians. It goes without saying that it's hard
to have a partner for peace if you don't accept the right of the other partner to exist. It goes without saying that
it's hard to have a process for peace if you do not renounce violence. And so we will see what the outcome is here.
But let me just say that we continue to believe that President Abbas, who is someone who has accepted these very
important principles, is someone with whom we can work and with whom we are working and we hope that the opportunities
will present themselves for the United States to continue to engage him and to continue to try to improve life for the
Palestinian people.
But the Quartet principles are important because they embody the very essential elements of how we would actually get to
a two-state solution.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER LIVNI: Thank you. Well, Israel was and still is willing to meet Mahmoud Abbas because we believe
in discussing with those who believe in two-state solution and Mahmoud Abbas is one of them. But of course, the
requirements of the international community are needed and any government, future government in the Palestinian
Authority or the need to meet these requirements are the needs of any government in the Palestinian Authority, not only
Hamas government, but also a unity government or any other government. And we expect the Palestinian Authority and the
future government to meet these requirements fully and completely and we believe that these requirements are not
negotiable. I mean, we are not willing that the existence of the state of Israel will be been negotiated or renounce
violence or terrorism and these are the requirements.
And I think that now this is a moment in time in which Mahmoud Abbas has to decide whether the Palestinian Authority
will operate on his terms or on the terrorists' term. This is the decisions that he has to make. And this is the
decisions that any future Palestinian government has to make. And I hope that they will take the right decision in order
to change the situation in the region. And as Israel clearly said, any government that will meet fully and completely
the requirements will get legitimacy not only from the international community -- not only by the international
community.
QUESTION: Just to clarify though, could you go on dealing with Abbas if he was in a partner --
SECRETARY RICE: Mahmoud Abbas is the President of the Palestinian Authority, elected separately from the election of the
Palestinian Legislative Council and the formation of a government. He is someone who personally accepts the Quartet
principles and accepts the responsibility to move the Palestinian people away from conflict and toward peace. And we
will continue to deal with him. I think the issue of the government is, however, an issue in which the Quartet
principles are very clear. And the point that I was trying to make is that they're clear for a reason. It's not just
that we say there have to be Quartet principles. It's because they represent very important elements if you wish to get
to a two-state solution to peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
QUESTION: Madame Secretary, the deadline to Iran passed two weeks ago and nothing happened. I wonder how many more
deadlines the U.S. intend to give Iran till an action is really taken? And I'll be happy also to have the Foreign
Minister take on this issue?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, it's not quite right that nothing happened. On August 31st the deadline did pass. And in fact, we
have now been in very close consultations with the other six and with others about what the -- what a Security Council
resolution would contain. Now it is true that there has been an effort, because we've said the path is always open, to
see if the Iranians still wanted to suspend. It's my understanding that -- perhaps, not surprisingly -- they've canceled
the meeting for tomorrow. That should tell us something. And we have always believed that the path was very clear for
the Iranians: suspend and go down the path of negotiation or the international community would go down the path of the
Security Council. It's quite clear we're on the path of the Security Council. There will be a meeting in New York of the
ministers of the P-5+1. I think that's a natural time to assess where we are and to make some movement forward. But I --
I would just not likely the impression that we've been doing nothing. Meetings began almost immediately -- holiday
notwithstanding -- began almost immediately on how to move forward on a Security Council resolution.
If the Iranians wish to suspend their activities, which is important because they're then not perfecting the
technologies that could lead to a nuclear weapon, the road of negotiation is still open, when and if they decide to
suspend it.
QUESTION: So you're willing to give them more time?
SECRETARY RICE: No. I said we are working on a Security Council resolution now. There's -- the Security Council
resolution obviously has to be -- we have to consult about it and we have to decide what the text will look like. There
will be a meeting -- there was a meeting of the political directors. There will be a meeting with the ministers. We are
working on that track. If the Iranians still wish to suspend and begin negotiations obviously that would be a good
thing. But given that they canceled the meeting, I'm -- I don't really know that that option is available.
SECRETARY RICE: All Right, thank you.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER LIVNI: Well, I --
SECRETARY RICE: Oh, I'm sorry. Tzipi, go right ahead.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER LIVNI: No --
SECRETARY RICE: No, no, please.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER LIVNI: No, I mean, it's easier for me to say that there is no time and the international community
should show determination and start with the sanctions. But as was said before, it is more easy for me to say from the
outside, well, the United States chose the determination but there's a need to get -- I don't know if everybody -- but
more states onboard and there are some hesitations unfortunately from other parts of the world. But our expectation is
that the international community will show more determination on this issue and an understanding that this is not a
threat to Israel, but a threat to the entire free world. And I think that there is an understanding, but now let's say
what happens next week.
SECRETARY RICE: And that is our expectation, too. That is what we agreed starting all the way back at London to Berlin
to Paris. And we now have to deliver as an international community.
Thank you.
2006/819
Released on September 13, 2006
ENDS