Within Our Grasp
U.S. presidents try, try, try to make peace in the Middle East.
"One-hundred million people in the Arab countries, many of whom have considered us their enemy for nearly 20 years, now look on us as their friends. We must continue to build on that friendship so that peace can settle at last over the Middle East and so that the cradle of civilization will not become its grave."
“One-hundred million people in the Arab countries, many of whom have considered us their enemy for nearly 20 years, now look on us as their friends. We must continue to build on that friendship so that peace can settle at last over the Middle East and so that the cradle of civilization will not become its grave.”
—Richard Nixon, Aug. 8, 1974
“Thanks to American leadership, the prospects for peace in the Middle East are brighter than they have been in three decades.”
—Gerald Ford, Jan. 12, 1977
“Our current efforts to complete the treaty negotiations represent not the end of a process, but the beginning of one, for a treaty between Egypt and Israel is an indispensable part of a comprehensive peace.”
—Jimmy Carter, March 10, 1979
“In the aftermath of the settlement in Lebanon, we now face an opportunity for a broader peace.… If we miss this chance to make a fresh start, we may look back on this moment from some later vantage point and realize how much that failure cost us all.”
—Ronald Reagan, Sept. 1, 1982
“We come to Madrid on a mission of hope — to begin work on a just, lasting, and comprehensive settlement to the conflict in the Middle East.”
—George H.W. Bush, Oct. 30, 1991
“The efforts of all who have labored before us bring us to this moment, a moment when we dare to pledge what for so long seemed difficult even to imagine: that the security of the Israeli people will be reconciled with the hopes of the Palestinian people.”
—Bill Clinton, Sept. 13, 1993
“The day is coming when Palestinians will enjoy the blessings that freedom brings — and all Israelis will enjoy the security they deserve.… And when that day comes, future generations will look to the work we began here at Annapolis.”
—George W. Bush, Nov. 27, 2007
“The only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states.… That is in Israel’s interest, Palestine’s interest, America’s interest, and the world’s interest. And that is why I intend to personally pursue this outcome with all the patience and dedication that the task requires.”
—Barack Obama, June 4, 2009
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