(What follows are excerpts from President Clinton's speech to the National Leadership Conference of the Arab American Institute, a vehemently anti-Israel organization headed by the veteran Israel-basher James Zogby, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C., on May 7, 1998.)
Thank you very much. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you, Jim [Zogby], Idi Aboud (ph), Watatia (ph), all the members of the Arab American Institute, the National Arab American Business Association, the Palestinian American Congress, to Prince Bandar and the members of the diplomatic corps. All of you, thank you for coming; my fellow Americans.
I like getting advice from Jim Zogby's mother. (Laughter/applause.) And she has a remarkable read on the world. Her son John, a renowned pollster, has nothing on her. (Laughter.) In fact, I think her numbers are better than his for me sometimes. (Laughter.)
I also want to say a special word of appreciation to Jim for his advice over the years. He is a remarkable voice for calm and clarity, no matter how heated the issues. But I can tell you, he is one of the most forceful, intense and brutally honest people who ever come to the White House to see me. (Applause.) And you should be proud of that.
I understand that I am the first sitting president to address an Arab American conference. (Cheers/applause.) I see Congressman Moran in the audience. He came here so the Irish would not be alone at the podium. (Laughter/applause.) And I thank him for that.
I'm honored to be the first president, but I'm surprised, frankly, and also a little disappointed, because the Arab American community has made an enormous contribution to this country--(applause)--with basic values that made us great -- love of family and belief in hard work and personal responsibility and a passionate devotion to education, which I hope we will see engulf every single ethnic group in America today.
I congratulate you on the way you have found your voice on speaking out on a wide range of domestic issues, and not just on the questions involving the Middle East. A record number of Arab Americans are now running for and serving in public office, including the United States Congress. But the newest (Yemeni) immigrants, once poor farmers, are now small business owners, achieving their rightful share of the American dream.
(...)
I know it is true that Arab Americans still feel
the sting of being stereotyped in false ways. I have
done what I could to warn against that. The saddest
encounter, I suppose, was when we went through the
heartbreaking experience of Oklahoma City, and many people
were quick to rush to judgment. And I remember
that terrible day when I urged the American people not to
do so. (Applause.)
I am very grateful not only to Jim but to others among you who have been an active part of my race initiative...
(...)
Don't let any American have the misfortune of never having known an Arab American. You can do that if you try. (Applause.)
(...)
We are now also, as all of you know, working very hard to regain the momentum for peace in the Middle East. (Applause.) The last year has been so frustrating for the people of the Middle East, so frustrating for the peace-loving people in the Palestinian areas and in Israel, that it's easy to forget how far we have come in the last few years.
We've had the Oslo accords, the Washington peace signing in September of '93, the Hebron agreement, unprecedented security cooperation, the open dialogue that had been established. All these things were quite important. They have brought the possibility of peace closer than ever before. All I'm trying to do is to regain that momentum.
We have an opportunity to get this process moving again and to move forward. It has been my experience in life--and I've lived long enough now to see it-- that in almost every area of human endeavor, opportunities do not last forever. They must be seized. And I hope this one will be seized.
(...) All of you know what invaluable benefits peace can bring to the people of the region. All of you know how much suffering has been undergone by people because of the absence of peace. All of you know how much extra suffering has been borne every time there is an interruption of normalcy.
We have got to get this done. I am doing the very best I can. And I know you are, too. (Applause.)
You know, I have given a lot of thought to what makes people get into downward spirals. We see it in horrible terms when violence occurs and life is lost, not just in the Middle East but any place--in Bosnia, where we were able to end a war, and other places. We see it in less violent ways when people in positions of public responsibility get into a downward spiral of destructive attempts to hurt each other for political reasons that have no larger public purpose.
(...)
I ask you to remain resolute and remain passionate, but always to be large. Do not give away the best part of your own lives. Do not give away the best part of your hopes. We will prevail.
Thank you, and God bless you. (Applause.)
June 1998 - 7 - Outpost