Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on the President's Meeting With Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel

The President just completed a productive half-hour meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin. President Bush reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to a close relationship with our long-term friend and strategic partner Israel. Toward this end, the President made clear his determination to provide Israel with the resources necessary for its security.

The two leaders also discussed the situation in the West Bank and Gaza. The President told Defense Minister Rabin that the recent elections proposal put forward by the Government of Israel constitutes an important contribution to a process that has the potential to bring about negotiations leading to a comprehensive settlement consistent with Israeli security and Palestinian political rights. The President noted that the Israeli elections proposal gives us something to work with, and we are now looking for a constructive Arab response to it. The President also voiced his deep concern over the escalating violence in the occupied territories and expressed the strong hope that all parties would exercise maximum restraint.