PRESS CONFERENCE WITH AMBASSADOR ITAMAR RABINOVICH 
                     Embassy of Israel - Washington, D.C. 
                               October 19, 1994 

 
AMBASSADOR RABINOVICH: Good afternoon, and thank you for coming.  I was very 
much hoping that a few days before the signing of the second peace treaty 
between Israel and an Arab state we would be having a press conference in this 
embassy with a different focus in mind.  But unfortunately, this is not the 
case.   We have been used to living with terror and conflict, and in the past 
years this has become less of an Arab effort and more of a Muslim 
fundamentalist effort directed at us as well as at the peace process. This is 
something that has preceded the process, it is also directed against the peace 
process, but it is directed first and foremost at us as a state, as a society, 
at us as individuals.  Israel today is a country characterized by a sense of 
outrage and by a deep sense of sadness.  There are vigils along roads in 
Israel, vigils in crossroads in Israel, people holding candles expressing this 
sense, dual sense of outrage and grief. 
 
Terrorism is a phenomenon that has to be fought, fought against, and this is a 
battle that has to be joined by many.  I need not say that it has to be joined 
by us.  We have been in the midst of that battle for a long time and we are 
determined to continue and to contribute our own share with a greater sense of 
urgency and with a greater sense of determination than before.  There have 
been three vicious attacks in the past 10 days; the shooting in Jerusalem, the 
abduction and the assassination of Corporal Nachshon Waxman, and last night 
this latest outrage.  This is a very heavy dose, and our determination, strong 
as it was, has been reinforced.  
 
Secondly, we call upon and expect the Palestinian leadership, the Palestinian 
authority, to increase its own efforts in order to dismantle the 
infrastructure, the Hamas and Islamic Jihad infrastructure in Gaza that has 
contributed to these latest events. 
 
And thirdly, we hope and call upon the international community to increase its 
political diplomatic effort and its pressure on Iran that has spearheaded 
disinformation that has been the source of inspiration and supply for attacks 
taking place in Israel itself, in the Middle East and internationally.  And 
there's hardly a need to recall attacks in Buenos Aires, in London and even in 
New York, that all hail back to a very similar source inspiration. 
 
Without a concerted international effort, this will not come to an end. 
Finally, questions have arisen as to the continuation of the peace process.  
Let me say very emphatically that we are determined to continue the peace 
process. If these are attacks that are, among other things, directed at the 
peace process, that seek to derail the peace process, then the answer is to 
continue the peace process.  The only solution to terrorism beyond the 
operational activity is a political solution, and the peace process is 
designed to bring a political settlement to the Middle East.  We have partners 
on the Arab side. 
 
Their ranks have been strengthened in recent days, and together with those 
partners on the Arab side that are interested in pushing this peace process 
forward, we will continue. 
 
Thank you very much. 
 
Q: Ambassador, for weeks now we've been hearing of a landscape changing.  
Israel has relations now with several Arab countries. Several have agreed to 
not honor barter boycott at least.  In the seven hours since this occurred, 
which Arab countries have expressed any -- have given you any expression of 
sympathy or understanding, let alone determination to cooperate against 
terrorism? 
 
AMB. RABINOVICH: There's been a Jordanian statement that I have seen.  I must 
tell you that I have not scrutinized the latest report and I cannot tell you 
authoritatively which ones have, but Jordan certainly has in the last few 
hours. 
 
Q: Do you have any basis for confidence that this terrorism against Israel is 
abhorrent to other Arab parties, including your partners in peace? 
 
AMB. RABINOVICH: Yes.  Let me also add that the PLO representative to the U.N. 
has also denounced this action.  I have reason to believe -- the word 
"abhorrent" may be to powerful for some Arab parties, but I think that there 
is a general realization on the part of most of the Arab world that this 
activity and the larger political context within which it takes place is a 
threat to Arabs at least as much as it is to Israelis.  If you ask Arabs what 
they think of the prospect of a change of government in Algeria, and what they 
think Hamas and like-minded groups would like to do to them politically and 
physically, then I think you'll find a wide-ranging support for struggle 
against this kind of activity.   
 
Yes, please? 
 
Q: U.S. ambassador was instructed to go to the Syrian foreign ministry this 
morning -- (off mike) -- their support for terrorism. Do you think it's time 
that they reined in some of the elements that may have been involved in this 
episode in South Lebanon? 
 
AMB. RABINOVICH: In the last year or so there's been a Syrian effort to 
curtail Hezbollah activity in South Lebanon with regard to Katyushka attacks 
against Israel.  We would like to see more and we think that the American 
activity that you have described is very beneficial. 
 
Yes. Please? 
 
Q: Mr. Ambassador, can you please elaborate on a statement made by the Israeli 
counsel general that Hamas is operating in the United States? 
 
AMB. RABINOVICH: I'm not sure that I would use the present tense.  We know 
that in the past there has been Hamas activity.  You have under custody and 
under prosecution in Israel American citizens of Palestinian extraction who 
came to Israel and to the West Bank under Hamas instructions carrying money -- 
they were bagmen for Hamas. Money collected in the United States was 
transported by them to finance Hamas activities in the West Bank primarily.  
And this was not the extent of it.  Now this country has a very elaborate 
network of -- an intelligence community, law enforcement agencies -- I know 
that they are engaged in dealing with that.  this is an American issue and we 
are satisfied that the U.S. authorities are doing what they need to do in 
order to deal with any threats of this kind on American territory. 
 
Q: But specifically there was a statement that they were being trained to make 
bombs in the United States.  Do you have any information on that? 
 
AMB. RABINOVICH: I think that was the case in the past, I think that 
particular venue was treated at that time, and I think awareness in this 
country by the relevant authorities to the threat of Hamas activities or the 
activities of other, similar organizations has been raised, certainty since 
the twin tower incident and other incidents of that time. 
 
Yes, please? 
 
Q: Yes.  Beyond Iran, what countries provide sustantial financial and 
political support for Hamas?  What other countries need to curtail their 
activities involving Hamas? 
 
AMB. RABINOVICH: I think that speaking in state or government terms Iran is 
the address.  There was a time in which the government of Sudan came under 
Iranian influence and cooperated with Iran -- I think that there's been a 
decrease in that respect.  What you also have is the case of wealthy 
individuals in Gulf countries who have been contributing to Hamas. 
 
This is not government activity, but we have expressed a concern, and I 
believe the U.S. government has done more than that, in order to persuade 
those Gulf country governments to prevent their citizens, their wealthy 
citizens, from passing on financial support to Hamas and to similar 
organizations. 
 
Q: What are the Gulf countries? 
 
AMB. RABINOVICH: I think several Gulf countries.  I don't think I want to 
single out a particular Gulf country, among others. 
 
Yes, please? 
 
Q: After the London bombing this summer, I believe when Prime Minister Rabin 
was here, he said although Syria may not have been behind the bombings, they 
certainly had the power to stop the bombings.  Is that a theme that's shared 
now, with the Hamas attacks over the weekend? 
 
AMB. RABINOVICH: No, the bombing was a Hezbollah-Iranian operation, and Syria, 
wielding such influence as it does in Lebanon, is in a position to increase 
the pressure on Hezbollah and I think the question regarding the demarche made 
by the U.S. ambassador in Damascus has that in mind.   
 
Hamas is not a Syrian-oriented movement, it draws its inspiration from Iran, 
and this is the principal address with regard to the recent wave that I spoke 
about earlier. 
 
Q: Mr. Ambassador, is there a shift in tactics here?  Two of the three recent 
attacks were within Israel proper.  I mean, I could ask you a lot of 
questions, but I'd appreciate your reflections -- you know, is Hamas now 
bolder, was there some sort of an unwritten, sort of -- I hate to use the 
phrase "gentleman's agreement" that put Israel itself off limits to a lot of 
groups?  Because I remember Maalat (ph), but that 20 years ago.  Is there some 
shift here?  What is your assessment of what's going on? 
 
AMB. RABINOVICH: No, I don't think that there ever was -- ever was any policy 
of sparing Israel of Israelis from these attacks.  And in March '93, you 
remember, there was a knifing wave and a wave of attacks inside Israel that 
led to the closure, the first major closure of Gaza and the West Bank.  The 
prime minister was here on a visit to the United States, cut it short then and 
went back to Israel to deal with the wave of attacks inside Israel.  I think 
that if given the choice, Hamas prefers to attack inside Israel.  It regards 
that as more effective as affecting the mood and attitude of the Israeli 
population.  But they are not very choosy.  If they can hit Israelis or Jews 
in the West Bank or if they can operate abroad, they would, and they take 
explicitly pride in that, if you read their communiques of this very day. 
 
Yes, please? 
 
Q: Will closure of the West Bank and Gaza be carried out due to this incident? 
 
AMB. RABINOVICH: Yes, it's been decided on as one in a series of measures 
designed to, first of all, limit the capabilities.  There's no question that 
closure physically prevents individuals who either carry knives or carry 
explosives from entering Israel and limits their ability to act.  Closure is 
not a root -- doesn't treat the roots of the problems, but it's a very 
effective technical measure of limiting if not preventing such activities.  
But it is only one of a series of measures. 
 
Yes, please? 
 
Q: Within hours of the attack, Bebe Netanyahu was on the air assailing the 
government's policies and saying that it's a demonstrative failure.  How 
precarious is the peace process within Israel? 
 
AMB. RABINOVICH: I think the peace process as such is not precarious.  I think 
the majority of the Israeli population are supportive of the peace process.  
The recent initialling of a peace treaty with Jordan and the signing next week 
will enjoy a great deal of support.  Mr. Netanyahu himself and his party have 
been supportive of peace with Jordan.  And peace needs to be seen in an 
integrated way; you cannot be choosy and say, "I like this part of the peace 
process, I like a different part of the peace process less."  
 
I think that the statements that were made under the immediate impact of 
really a very grim and tragic incident need not be seen as definitive 
positions.  We all hope that we will not be swept into an international 
Israeli debate. Israel, as a society and as a country, needs all the cohesion 
and strength it can muster at a time like this. The government has not 
responded, has not attacked or criticized the opposition, and I hope that we 
all will rally in order to fight the real enemy, namely, this type of 
terrorism. 
 
Q: Thank you very much. 
 
AMB. RABINOVICH: Thank you very much. 
 

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