Bush On The Air: Peace In The Middle East
January 12, 2008, 12:11pm
President Bush is currently touring countries in the Middle East, so the topic understandably has been on his mind of late. It has been the subject of his first two weekly radio addresses for 2008. Here are excerpts from them, with the audio below:
- “I came away encouraged by my meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Each side understands that the key to achieving its own goals is helping the other side achieve its goals. … In plain language, the result must be the establishment of a free and democratic homeland for the Palestinian people, just as Israel is a free and democratic homeland for the Jewish people.”
- “I believe that a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians that defines a Palestinian state is possible this year. … The United States cannot impose an agreement on the Israelis and Palestinians — that is something they must work out themselves. But with hard work and good will on both sides, they can make it happen.”
- “A democratic Palestinian state is in the interests of the Palestinians. It is in the long-term security interests of Israel. And it is in the interests of a world at war with terrorists and extremists trying to impose their brutal vision on the Middle East.”
- “I know it is not always obvious why events in the nations of the Middle East should matter to the American people. But in the 21st century, developments there have a direct impact on our lives here.”
- “At its core, the battle unfolding in the Middle East is more than a clash of arms. It is an ideological struggle. On one side are the forces of terror and death. On the other are tens of millions of ordinary people who want a free and peaceful life for their children.”
Jan. 12
Jan. 5
Categories: Podcast of the Week, Weekly Radio Address, Foreign Affairs
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