Communique, Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Jerusalem, 12 November 1996
The Middle East/North Africa Economic Conference
Cairo, 12-14 November 1996The Cairo Conference is the third in a series of summits begun in 1994 at Casablanca and continued in 1995 in Amman. We come here to express the shared desire of the governments and peoples of our region for prosperity, economic development and welfare for all.
Israel attaches great importance to the convening of this conference at this time in Cairo, capital of the largest Arab country, the heart of the Arab world, and the pioneer of peace and reconciliation between Israel and the Arab world. We bring with us the hope that this conference will serve as a renewed call for the advancement of peace and cooperation in our region.
The Middle East and North Africa are blessed with a distinctive wealth of human resources. The opportunities presented to us all as the new century begins to dawn before us are a source of great promise and hope.
Obstacles and disappointments inevitably accompany our efforts. However, it is important to acknowledge the profound transformations that the region has already undergone. Who would have believed twenty years ago that Israel and Egypt could live in peace; who would have predicted the great progress that has been made in the five years since the Madrid Conference was convened, launching both the bilateral and the multilateral tracks of the ongoing peace process.
We are all aware of the sometimes contrasting expectations and aspirations of the peoples of the region, yet we continue also to forge a common future. Israel's rightful place as an equal within this region is being cemented all the time, as the gradual process of building regional frameworks takes root.
This conference is not the place to enter into debates and declarations regarding the political differences between the parties. For that we have the negotiating table.
Nevertheless, let it be clear to one and all - the Government of Israel is committed to pursue the path of peace and to honor its international obligations.
It is regrettable that this Conference suffers, as did its predecessors, from the absence of representatives from Syria and Lebanon. Israel remains ready to resume its contacts with Syria and Lebanon at any place, at any time. Today, as we mark the fifth anniversary of the Madrid Conference, it is important that we renew our contacts on the basis of the principles established there. We seek peace.
In Cairo today, the people of the Middle East and North Africa stand at the threshold of a new chapter of action, of translating words into deeds, hopes and initiatives into a new reality of cooperation and achievement.
Our work must begin with small steps designed to enhance economic performance and create jobs - to show our peoples the advantages of peace and cooperation over the ravages of war and violence.
Many are those who suggest that business ties and investment will develop as a product of peace and stability. This is clearly true. Yet it is also true that business ties and investment can serve as catalysts for peace, engines which fuel the desire for peace and its translation into action.
It is our responsibility here to present concrete proposals, projects whose benefits will be discernible to the man in the street and touch his life for the better. We are still only at the outset of this endeavor, nourished by our hopes and aspirations for the future. These hopes and aspirations must now be accompanied by concrete actions and realistic measures. Small businesses must be initiated, factories built, enterprises launched, jobs created.
We must act to unleash the positive force of private enterprise and to facilitate the free and effective functioning of regional markets. We must create an atmosphere where businessmen, experts and investors, from the region and beyond, can cross borders and function freely to realize the great potential at hand.
It is incumbent upon us to strengthen the cooperation between the countries of the region, in fields such as tourism and trade. Countries from outside the region can assist our efforts to advance the economy of our region by displaying flexibility in opening their borders to joint exports.
This region faces many great challenges and dangers - shared by us all. The greatest of these is the shortage of water and the desertification of arable lands. We must cooperate to combat these common threats.
Israel extends its hand in cooperation. This is the hand of a friend and a neighbor, a brother and a colleague. It is not a hand which seeks hegemony or control.
In the less than fifty years since its establishment, the State of Israel has succeeded in building an advanced and stable economy. We have achieved this through our own toil, together with much assistance from the international community. We believe it is not only our obligation, but also our privilege, to share our experience with our neighbors. The countries of our region will find us a willing partner for joint development projects and the shared economic development of the region.
The Government of Israel firmly believes in the immediate need for assistance to the Palestinian economy. Regrettably, the constant threat of terrorism and violence requires that we take preventive measures which bear a grave economic and social cost. It is our hope that the Palestinian Authority will continue and intensify its struggle against the terrorist threat so that the barriers to economic interaction and cooperation between our societies can be lifted.
Important work lies before us. We must overcome the obstacles, look towards the future, and advance together towards cooperation and understanding between the peoples of the region. This is our obligation and our mandate. Let us act upon it now.