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PM Sharon's Knesset speech, 16.9.2001 |
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PM Sharon's Knesset speech, 16.9.2001 |
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| 16/09/2001 |
Mr. Speaker,
Members of the Knesset,
Last week, the empire of terrorism struck at the heart of our courageous
friend, the greatest democracy on earth - the United States of America.
We have assembled here today in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, the
capital of the only democracy in the Middle East, in order to bow our
heads in sorrow and deep mourning over the deaths of innocent citizens
in New York and Washington, of the innocent passengers whose lives were
cut short for no reason on their part - by criminal terrorists of the
worst kind that the world has known since World War II, and even beyond.
The Government of Israel has declared a day of mourning in solidarity
with the American people. National flags were lowered to half-mast at
all government institutions to mark the awful tragedy which struck the
US.
The hand that dispatched the suicide-terrorists to hijack the passenger
planes in order to turn them into piloted human bombs intended to strike
at the pulsating heart of the American economy at the World Trade Center
twin towers in New York and the US Department of Defense at the Pentagon
in order to try to undermine the great democracy, which is the
foundation and basis of global security and peace more than any other
nation in the history of the world. The criminal massacre of innocent
citizens was designed to cause the demoralization - and loss of security
- of American society in the country that is the exemplar of the rule of
law and order.
The conduct of the citizens of the US in this hour of crisis, the spirit
of the rescue teams and those who volunteered to assist the injured, the
leadership of President George W. Bush, Vice-President Dick Cheney,
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell
and their aides, and the courageous spirit of New York City Mayor Rudy
Giuliani - all these prove that the US will again emerge victorious from
a war that was forced on it by the dictatorship of terrorism.
The issue of terrorism - to my regret - is not new to us. The State of
Israel has been fighting Arab, Palestinian and Islamic fundamentalist
terrorism for over 120 years. Thousands of Jews have been murdered in
terrorist attacks; Arab terrorism has left thousands of widows and tens
of thousands of orphans. The pain of the bereaved American people is
familiar to us - very familiar to us. The war against terrorism must be
an international war, a war by a coalition of the free world against the
forces of terrorism and all those who believe that they can threaten
freedom and our values. This is a war between good and evil - between
humanity and those who thirst for blood. The way of the wicked will be
defeated, the way of those who profess evil will not prosper. The way
of the righteous, the humane and the free, will be victorious.
We know this. We have been in this war for many years.
We were not surprised by Arab, Palestinian and radical Islamic
terrorism. Arafat chose a strategy of terrorism and established a
coalition of terrorism. Terrorist actions against Israeli citizens are
no different from Bin-Laden's terrorism against American citizens.
Terrorism is terrorism and murder is murder.
And we must remember: It was Arafat who - dozens of years ago -
legitimized the hijacking of planes. It was Palestinian terrorist
organizations who began to dispatch suicide-terrorists. All extremist
movements have receive redoubled legitimacy from Arafat since the murder
of the Israeli athletes at Munich, and the murders of children at Avivim
and Ma'alot.
There is no "good" and "bad" terrorism - it is all horrific, all evil,
all lacking in human values. There is no forgiveness of terrorism.
There is no compromise with terrorism.
There are no terrorists who are "good boys" while other terrorists are
"bad boys." They are all bad. The Arab countries are demanding - in
order for them to join the coalition - that Israel pay a diplomatic and
security price. And this they cannot receive.
The war against terrorism is also a war against incitement, the terrible
daily incitement in the official media and in the mosques. It is the
incitement that leads to attacks, that dispatches suicide-bombers, that
pulls the finger on the detonator trigger. In this war, every state
that supports terrorism - is guilty, every body that encourages
terrorism - is guilty, every person who incites - the same judgment. A
differentiation must be made between the forces of light who sanctify
life and the forces of darkness who sanctify death.
Mr. Speaker,
Members of the Knesset,
We are all committed to peace. We all want to reach a diplomatic
agreement, but we must not, I emphasize - we must not, allow a
differentiation to be made between terrorism against us and terrorism
against others as terrible as it may be, and the terrorism in the United
States is the worst the world has ever known.
I congratulate President George W. Bush on his decision to create a
coalition against terrorism. This coalition must fight against all
terrorist organizations, including those belonging to Arafat: the
Presidential Guard, Force 17, parts of Arafat's security services that
are collaborating in terrorism, the Tanzim and Fatah, who are causing a
great part of our losses, as well as their partners to Arafat's
coalition of terrorists - the Islamic Jihad and Hamas, Hizbullah and the
PFLP.
If we are invited, we will join, and in the meantime, the President of
the United States has warmly thanked us for the help that we have
already provided. If we are invited, we will join because we are
already fighting terrorism in any case.
I supported the Peres-Arafat meeting in order to deal with easing the
hardships of the population that is not involved in terrorism, and to
help in reaching a cease-fire. However, in my opinion, a meeting with
Arafat at the senior political level, at this point in time, while he is
actively using terrorism at its fullest possible strength and has taken
no preventative steps, and in light of the apparent trends, will
legitimize Arafat as a "good guy", and perhaps he might even join the
coalition, as the Syrians might possibly join as well.
This is very dangerous, and it will give Arafat the opportunity to
continue terrorist actions without allowing us to act against him.
In light of the commitments that the United States has taken upon itself
to uproot all terrorist organization networks, and out of a desire to
prevent the continued bloodshed in our region - I turn to Arafat from
here and call on him to end all terrorist actions forthwith. If Arafat
declares a cease-fire, I will declare a cessation of IDF initiated
actions. If the absolute quiet lasts 48 continuous hours, our Foreign
Minister will meet with Arafat in order to advance the cease-fire
process and bring about the seven days of quiet that are an essential
condition to the implementation of the Mitchell plan, and to bring about
an easing of the burden on the Palestinian population in the
territories.
I - the Prime Minister of Israel, a free and democratic state - stand
here, and in the name of all the decent and free people of the world I
stand here and oppose all the forces of evil that have brought about the
rising wave of terrorism that threatens the foundations of human
society. I oppose all those who relate to innocent civilians - women
and children, babes in their mothers arms - as legitimate targets, and
against states and organizations that, with premeditation, fund, support
and encourage the bloodthirsty terrorists.
I want to say to all those today - I hope your time has passed.
I wish to send my condolences to the American people, to President
George W. Bush - in this difficult hour, our hearts are with you.
May it be His will that the approaching new year should be for good and
bring security and peace to the world. May it be His will.
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