Statement at Summit of the Peacemakers

President Mubarak,
President Clinton,

Thank you for calling us together at this crucial hour. All of us around this table have had a role in the Middle East peace-process, as supporters, mediators, and donors. The fruition of lifetimes of efforts are now being ambushed by criminals, terrorists, murderers, who stop at nothing, sacrificing innocent lives to derail these great achievements.

The Israelis and the Palestinians have supported this peace process in great and growing numbers. Their security, development, and ultimately - their futures and prosperity - depend on it - totally.

A tiny minority of terrorists have defied the hopes and the futures of these millions. The young Hamas-killers,- rootless youth and easy prey. They are marionettes, driven by outside peddlers of violence and ambiguous talk of regimes acting from afar. What can these killers achieve? Nothing but tragedy.

The instigators, wherever they are, will stop at nothing but the persuasive force of law. It is that which we must provide. Right now and as long as it takes for lasting peace to take hold.

We share the grief of the people and Government of Israel and all those who mourn a loved one lost. We commend the latest efforts by President Arafat to root out the evil. He has the authority to do so.

We support the right of Israel to defend itself. - And we expect an end to the double-talk and evasive attitudes on the part of those who can influence the situation. There must be no sanctuaries for those who invoke the name of God while doing devilish work.

The peace process must succeed. The civilized world is determined to see it happen, and we are here to unite its forces.

Development is essential. The social and economic benefits of peace must be felt in every village and every hamlet, by every Palestinian man, woman and child. This is a stakeholder's process. It is time to invest in peace.

Norway has the honour to chair the liaison group of donor countries. Our task as a group is to provide hope and comfort - new opportunity, new jobs, education. We have made significant pledges. These committments must now be mobilized without delay.

At this moment a fine balance must be found between the measures needed for security reasons, and the openness required by humanitarian needs.

We must rapidly create new employment for those Palestinians who are victimized by the collateral damage of cooling and cutting off.

Projects have been prepared that can be rapidly implemented. Job-creation projects. Infrastructure-projects. Norway will make funds immediately available for these plans.

This is what we must do:

• Stop the Hamas killers and their godfathers.
• Keep the peace-process rolling forwards
• And show the people of the parties that our solidarity is real and that the gains of peace are of this world and for living generations - a brighter day will emerge by our combined resolve.

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