I think there is an opportunity now that never existed before. This is due to a combination of public opinion in Israel, my commitment and the understanding and hopefully future support of President George W. Bush. |
I think there was a decision to freeze it, |
I very much hope that today's decision will be in effect for just a short period. I hope ... we will be able to bring a new government to parliament for approval as quickly as possible. |
I want you to be ready to take my place, Ariel Sharon told me. |
I will very much try to ensure the formation process is calm. |
I'm not expressing any ultimatum. If we reach the conclusion that the Palestinians are not prepared to meet the requirements that lead to negotiations, we will then move forward without getting a negotiating process. We are ready to change. We are not prepared to wait forever. |
I'm saying those things here and now out of a belief in the State of Israel's immense power and the immeasurable courage of its soldiers, military leaders, and security forces to hit any enemy and defeat any terrorist. Out of this sense of strength we must act with all our power in order to create hope for a different life for our young generation and that of our Palestinian neighbors. |
If after a reasonable time passes it becomes clear that the PA (Palestinian Authority) is not willing to accept these principles, we will need to begin to act. |
If our expected partners in the negotiations in the framework of the road map do not uphold their commitments, we will preserve the Israeli interest in every way. |
If the Palestinians agree to act soon, we will sit at the negotiating table in order to create a new reality ... . If they do not, Israel will take its fate into its own hands. |
In order to ensure the existence of a Jewish national home, we will not be able to continue ruling over the territories in which the majority of the Palestinian population lives. |
In the coming period, we will move to set the final borders of the state of Israel, a Jewish state with a Jewish majority. We will try to achieve this in an agreement with the Palestinians. |
In the elections tomorrow, and in the steps which will follow, they will have to decide: whether to take their fate into their hands or to again leave the key in the hands of the extremists, those who led them from bad to worse and condemned them to a life of misery and suffering. |
In the near future, I will set the permanent borders of the state of Israel. I prefer to do this by agreement with our neighbors. |
Israel cannot allow in any way or at any stage someone who has such hostile intentions against us to obtain weapons that could threaten our existence. |