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No Political Progress Before the Elimination of Terrorism

(Prime Minister's Office) Prime Minister Ariel Sharon- From the prime minister's address Monday at the opening of the new Knesset session: In the Sinai terror attacks we were attacked twice: once because we are Israelis and because of the hatred towards us for insisting on preserving our right to live a normal life in a Jewish state of our own. And twice because we are part of the enlightened world, a world of free nations which champions liberty, tolerance, and democracy as supreme values in contrast with the barbarity, tyranny, and fanaticism which every terrorist all over the world worships. The torch of liberty which we carry alone in the darkness of the Middle East is the one which the murderers seek to extinguish. We refuse - and we will always refuse - to abandon our lives as Jews, Israelis, and free people, and we will never let go of the sword which defends the torch of our independence. The readiness of many members of the Security Council to denounce Israel for its defensive activities has taught us that the world is no longer interested in the question of who started and who is to blame. The world is not too concerned by the firing of rockets and missiles at Jewish communities or by the murder of women and children. Therefore it is important to guarantee that our friends in the world, primarily the U.S., will stand by us and help us thwart the diplomatic campaign, while the IDF thwarts the terror campaign. The policy of my government has always been that there could be no political progress before the elimination of terrorism. This principle was fully recognized in President Bush's vision and in the Roadmap, and we are committed to it. This plan compels the Palestinians to take a series of practical steps towards the eradication of terrorism and a fundamental governmental reform, before progress can be achieved toward political negotiations. To date, the Palestinians have done nothing to abide by their commitments under the Roadmap. The blame for the political deadlock and their inability to progress toward a realization of their national aspirations rests solely on their shoulders. I intend to submit the disengagement plan for Knesset debate and approval on October 25. The Knesset is the elected institution and it alone will discuss and decide. We will all accept its verdict and act together, with true unity, to implement the decisions.
2004-10-12 00:00:00
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