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Address at the Swearing-In of the New Government

(Prime Minister's Office) Prime Minister Ariel Sharon - •This is a strong and ancient people. A people of great spirit. A people who, during the last century, learned the importance of its right and duty to defend itself by itself. It is a people who returned to its ancient language and historic homeland and staked a strong claim to this land - a claim which we will never relinquish. •In conversations with U.S. President George W. Bush and senior officials in his government, we reached an understanding regarding the necessary conditions to initiate a political process, as well as the need for a gradual outline to resolve this long-lasting and complex conflict between the Palestinians and ourselves. Before returning to a political track, the Palestinian Authority must stop terror and incitement, implement far-reaching reforms, and replace its current leadership. A political process which will lead to genuine peace must be based on lessons learned from the failed attempts of the past decade. •Any political settlement achieved in the future must ensure the historic, security, and strategic interests of Israel, primarily Palestinian renunciation of the groundless demand for "the right of return," the sole purpose of which is to allow the entrance of masses of Palestinians into Israel. Furthermore, the agreement should include security and buffer zones, and preserve the unity of the Capital of Israel - Jerusalem. •I take this opportunity to call upon Israeli Arabs: our children and ourselves will always live here, side by side. The rift between the Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel harms us all. I intend to open a new chapter in the relations between the State and its Arab citizens. •For most of my life, I have served the Israeli nation as an IDF soldier and commander, and as a minister in various Israeli governments. Today, as I enter my 75th year, I have only one aspiration: to lead this nation - which has known so much hardship and suffering and deserves so much - in a new path, a path of quiet, a path of prosperity, a path of peace. I again thank the Israeli people for trusting me to lead them in these trying times, and I pray to God that I will be found deserving of that trust.
2003-02-28 00:00:00
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