Clinton Presses Barak to Act Swiftly on Peace Process

Drawing on his experience as a seasoned political tactician, President Clinton on Thursday urged incoming Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to act promptly to revive the Middle East peace process by taking difficult steps early in his tenure while his electoral mandate is fresh.

“If it is going to be difficult, and there are tough consequences, it’s better to take them early rather than later,” Clinton said. “If you don’t do it, you may never get around to doing it, but it won’t get any better. It’ll just get worse and worse and worse. So it’s better to just take a deep breath and go on and do what you think has to be done.”

Standing beside Clinton as the advice was offered at a White House news conference was Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who is spending several days in Washington. The discussion shows that both presidents are preoccupied with Barak, the general-turned-politician who will take office next week.

Mubarak, whose nation signed the Arab world’s first peace treaty with Israel two decades ago, said a White House meeting that preceded the news conference underlined “the convergence of our views” on Middle East peace.

“We shall work closely with the U.S. and coordinate our joint efforts in order to have the parties break the stalemate and restore movement towards peace,” Mubarak said.

Clinton and Mubarak said they plan to meet the incoming Israeli prime minister soon to offer in person their help in restoring peace negotiations that stagnated during the regime of Barak’s predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The time is ripe” for Israel to reopen negotiations with both the Palestinians and Syria, Clinton said. “The best way for the Israelis to have lasting security is a negotiated peace based on mutual respect. That is also the best way for Palestinians to shape their own future on their own land.”

He said it is important to give Barak time to get his government into place and to formulate his own program before the United States and other mediators make specific suggestions to narrow the differences between Israel and its Arab adversaries.

At the same time, Clinton offered the broad outline of a U.S. position calling on Barak to take steps that Netanyahu rejected and that are sure to be controversial in Israel.

He urged the new Israeli government to complete the hand-over of West Bank land to the Palestinians required by last year’s Wye Plantation agreement between Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. Netanyahu has been slow to hand over land, accusing the Palestinians of failing to keep their side of the bargain. Clinton also made clear his continued opposition to the construction of additional Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Mubarak said he intends to work with Barak, Arafat and Syrian President Hafez Assad “with a view to creating the necessary atmosphere for resuming the peace process without delay.”

He urged Israel to stop “provocative actions, especially settlement activities.”